Shadows of Agony
by vivace160
Summary: She made a bargain with a vampire, but will either one manage to hold up their end?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So here I am taking the plunge and, for the first time, sharing something I've written (no, I'm not saying this in hopes of getting people to leave only positive reviews; on the contrary I would rather people be honest so I can work at getting better.) This story is complete but I will post it bit by bit, a chapter or two each week.

Onto the important stuff - Count von Krolock in this story was inspired by and completely based off of Steve Barton's (who was and always will be the best!) portrayal of the character. It takes place a year or so after the events in Tanz although I'm ignoring Koukol's demise and using him here.

I can't end this without saying a huge thank you to two friends, Iris and Marina, for being such a huge help in the creation of this story. So THANK YOU Iris and Marina!

* * *

Anneliese stood still and silent as she stared at the large castle that loomed before her. The setting full moon gave off an eerie light that caused the gargoyles to cast long shadows along the stone walls. Anneliese had stopped walking when she thought she saw one of those shadows move but now as she watched closely she knew it had only been her imagination. "It's just those silly stories," she told herself. "They're causing my eyes to play tricks on me." She laughed at the idea of it but she felt no relief from her fear. Back in the village people always spoke in hushed tones of vampires that lived in Castle von Krolock but Anneliese wasn't afraid of vampires. Vampires didn't exist, but wolves did and she was terrified of them. She wasn't even sure why she even decided to go but she had made it so close to the castle that she wasn't going to turn back now. She would get inside the castle, find some sort of proof that vampires couldn't be living there-some garlic from the kitchen or perhaps a religious symbol decorating one of the walls-and bring it back to the farm.

Swallowing her fear, Anneliese forced herself to move on until she was standing in front of the massive doors. All the nearby windows were dark so she pressed her ear against one of the doors and listened carefully for any sound coming from within the castle. She stood that way for a few minutes and once she was convinced the room behind the door was empty she turned the iron handle only to find it was locked. She stepped back away from the door, swearing under her breath, and looked around. _Now what? _She thought to herself. She looked at one of the darkened windows again then down at the ground where she spotted a rock. She moved to pick it up but paused just as her fingers brushed the surface of it. "What am I doing?" She whispered. "I can't do this..." She turned her head to look back at the path she had just taken to get to the castle. "But if I go back now they'll all say I'm nothing but a coward." Anneliese quickly picked up the rock before she could change her mind and hurried over to the closest window. Gripping the rock tightly, she raised it above her head and swung it toward the window.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Anneliese yelped in both surprise and pain when she felt a cold hand wrap tightly around her wrist in mid-swing, causing her to drop the rock. Her arm was pulled back painfully and she was forced to turn around and face the man whom she knew immediately had to be Count von Krolock himself. She had never seen him before but she had heard many descriptions of him by other villagers who claimed they had. Most of the descriptions varied from person to person-the most imaginative ones going as far as comparing him to the twisted and monstrous gargoyles that adorned the castle-but the few basic descriptions of the man that remained the same from one story to the next now stood before her.

"It's not very polite," Von Krolock continued, "to go around breaking windows that don't belong to you, especially when it's quite obvious you could never pay to replace them." Anneliese blushed in embarrassment when she realized the Count was eyeing her cloak which was worn thin from age. "What are you doing here?" Anneliese opened her mouth to answer him but quickly shut it again when she realized she didn't know what to say. The truth was out of the question. "Well? Speak up, young lady! Why are you here trying to break into my home? What is it you want from me?" Von Krolock tightened his grip on Anneliese's wrist as he spoke.

"Please, Sir!" She cried softly. "Let me go! You're hurting me!" Von Krolock ignored her pleas.

"Were you hoping to find a place to sleep for the night?" He asked. "Or perhaps you thought you could steal some food or better yet, something you could sell to earn a little extra money?" As Von Krolock spoke, he remained calm and composed but the tone of his voice was dripping with sarcasm and it made Anneliese uneasy.

"No... I... I just..." Her voice cracked as she spoke, her mind racing to come up with an excuse that would hopefully keep her out of too much trouble.

"You just what? Is it that you just enjoy destroying the property of others? A barn fire here, a broken window there. Is that it? You know there is a word for people like-"

"I was looking for vampires!" For a few moments the only sound to be heard was the wind rustling through the nearby trees. Once the realization of what she had just said sunk in, Anneliese felt her blood rush to her head and the world around her began to spin a little. She stared at Von Krolock and waited for his reaction.

"Vampires?" A vague hint of a smile appeared on the Count's pale face and Anneliese released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. At least he wasn't angry; maybe he would let her go with just a warning. "You were looking for vampires?" The vague smile slowly turned into a wide grin and Anneliese allowed herself to relax a little.

"Yes Sir. It was on a dare, you see," she explained with a nervous laugh. "It's awfully childish, I know." Anneliese lowered her eyes to the ground as she rambled on about the events that had brought her to his castle.

"Anneliese..." Von Krolock's voice was soft against her ear. She looked up again and was shocked to find his face so close to her own.

"How did you know my..." Anneliese's voice left her when Von Krolock gave a smile that exposed two long fangs within his mouth.

"It looks as though you've found your vampire, Anneliese." Before she had a chance to react Von Krolock dragged her over to the front door of the castle and pushed her inside. She stumbled from the force but once she steadied herself and turned around, Anneliese saw that Von Krolock was locking the door behind them.

"No!" She screamed and lunged toward the vampire. "Let me go!" She cried over and over, trying desperately to push him away from the door but she was no match for the much larger man.

"What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can hurt me?" Von Krolock laughed as Anneliese continued to hit and punch him with every bit of strength she could muster. Completely unfazed by her attacks, Von Krolock turned his attention back to the door and once it was locked, he slipped the key inside his pocket. By now the girl's punches were growing weaker. "You're wasting your energy. If you tire yourself out like this you won't be able to try to defend yourself when I bite you." His words caused Anneliese to freeze.

"What...?" Von Krolock took hold of her wrist and began to lead her toward a large staircase on the other side of the room.

"Not that you would succeed even at your strongest, but I do enjoy a good fight. They all taste better when they fight back." Von Krolock glanced down at Anneliese. The look in his eyes left her feeling dizzy and nauseous from fear.

"Where are you taking me?" Her voice was so weak she wasn't even sure he could have heard her.

"I am taking you to your new room where you still stay until I'm ready. You've come at a rather bad time, you see. The sun-" Von Krolock's words were replaced by a horrible scream. He let go of Anneliese and held his hand protectively, looking at the blistering skin. He turned to see Anneliese holding a pendant in the shape of a cross that was dangling from a broken chain. Without warning he swung his arm and the back of his uninjured hand hit Anneliese's face so hard she was knocked down onto the floor with a cry. When she hit the floor the necklace flew from her hand and slid beyond her reach.

"Koukol!" Von Krolock's voice thundered through the castle and moments later a hunchbacked man limped into the room, grumbling something Anneliese couldn't understand. "Take that away. Get it out of my home." Anneliese watched as Koukol picked up her necklace and when he walked between her and Von Krolock on his way out of the room, she turned her attention to the vampire. An ugly red welt had formed where she had pressed her cross against the back of his hand but it was something on his other hand that now had his attention. "I've cut you." He said softly. "You're bleeding." She watched as he dragged a finger across his knuckles and after holding his finger up so she could see the blood on it, he placed it in his mouth then slowly pulled it out, sucking the blood from his skin. Anneliese swallowed hard an in effort to keep her nausea at bay.

"You're sweet..." He licked the rest of her blood away from his knuckles and sighed. "Very sweet... Fear and anger make a heavenly combination." Von Krolock began to walk toward Anneliese as he spoke. "Just think how scared and angry you'll be by tomorrow night," he chuckled. With each step he took Anneliese pulled herself along the floor until her back hit a wall and the vampire was towering over her. "Scared and angry," he repeated as he knelt down and placed his lips near her ear. "But it's quite a shame you're not a virgin," he whispered. Before Anneliese could respond strong fingers were digging into her bicep and she was forced to her feet. She struggled against his hold but no matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed to slow Von Krolock down as he pulled her up the stairs and down a long hall. When they reached an open door, he shoved her inside the room and slammed the door without a single word.

Anneliese hit the floor hard on her hands and knees; ignoring the pain she pulled herself up and turned toward the door. She tried the handle but just as she feared, it was locked. She placed her ear against it and listened; she hadn't heard any footsteps and she was certain the Count was still standing outside the room. "Von Krolock!" She shouted. "Let me out!"

"I guess an introduction isn't necessary after all since you seem to know who I am." Anneliese spun around when she heard the voice behind her but there was no one there. Her throat tightened with the threat of tears but when she heard Von Krolock chuckling on the other side of the door her fear quickly turned into anger.

"Let me go you monster!" She cried out as she pounded her fists against the door. "My friends know where I am and they'll come looking for me when I don't come back home! They'll come here and they'll find you and kill you!" Anneliese kicked the door to emphasize her words. "Do you hear me Von Krolock? They'll kill you!"

"It's raining." Was all Von Krolock said in response, his voice sounding as if he were bored. Anneliese furrowed her brow in confusion. They both remained silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "They won't be coming to look for you tonight. It's raining. Hard. By the time they reach the castle-if they come at all, mind you-it will be too late. Good night, Anneliese."

"What? What do you mean by that? Von Krolock?" Anneliese turned the door handle repeatedly even though she knew it was hopeless. She listened for a moment and when she heard his fading footsteps she began to scream. "You can't do this to me! Let me go!" She slammed her fists so hard against the door that bruises immediately began to form but she paid no mind as she continued. "Von Krolock! Please! Please don't leave me in here! Please let me go!" Eventually her voice grew hoarse and her screams became silent cries as she finally gave in and slowly sunk down to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the nice reviews! I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

* * *

Anneliese groaned when she felt something hard push against her back. She considered opening her eyes but her head was killing her so instead she decided to hope whatever it was would just go away. Just as she started to drift back to sleep she was given another shove, this time hard enough to move her. Opening her eyes she found herself lying on the floor and she realized she must have fallen asleep there. Something hit her back again and when she looked behind her she realized someone was trying to open the door. She tried to get out of the way and when every joint in her body screamed at the movement she wondered for just how long she had been asleep.

"Oh would you please stop that!" She moaned; her throat burned like fire. "I'm moving, I'm moving. Please just give me a moment." Pulling herself to her hands and knees, Anneliese forced herself to crawl just far enough away from the door before she collapsed again. Every muscle in her body ached and her head was thrumming with pain from having been hit so hard and it made her dizzy. As soon as she was out of the way, the door swung open and the hunchback she had seen earlier came in pushing a squeaky cart. She watched in silence as he picked up a tray and placed it on a small table. "Koukol. That's you're name, isn't it? Koukol?" The hunchback stopped what he was doing and turned to face Anneliese who was just barely able to contain her repulsion. _What a strange looking man he is! _She thought to herself. He looked-and smelled-as if he hadn't bathed in weeks, he seemed to have had a skin condition she hoped wasn't contagious, and he seemed to be deformed all over, not just his back.

"Koukol," he repeated in a gruff voice that was just barely understandable. When he spoke, Anneliese's stomach turned at the smell of his breath but she forced herself to smile at him.

"Hello, Koukol. I'm Anneliese," she said as sweetly as she could manage. "Maybe you can help me get out of here, Koukol."

"Lunch," Koukol grunted.

"No, I don't need lunch. I need to get out of here. You can help me, can't you?" Koukol grumbled something incoherent before repeating himself.

"Lunch." He pointed at the tray he had placed on the table. Anneliese looked at the window but being that it was made from stained glass, it was impossible to tell just how bright it was outside.

"What time is it?" She asked worriedly.

"Threeeeee," he replied. "Half past." Anneliese cringed as a little bit of spit flew from Koukol's mouth.

"Is it that late already?" She felt her panic begin to rise; there were only a couple hours left before sunset. She had to get out before then. "Koukol, please you must help me get out of here." Anneliese rose to her feet and started to walk slowly toward the open door. "Just let me leave now while the sun is still up. No one will ever know and-"

"Lunch!" Koukol growled and stomped a foot hard enough on the floor to cause Anneliese to jump. "You! Eat! Stay!" He grabbed the cart and pushed it out of the room, closing the door behind him. Anneliese ran toward it but just as she had the handle within her grasp, Koukol had locked it.

"No, wait! Koukol!" She called out but she could hear the cart squeaking it's way down the hall away from her room. Sighing, she turned around and looked around the room. It was a larger room-certainly larger than the room she had to sleep in back in the village-but she was certain it was one of the smallest rooms of the castle. The only items that furnished the room were a wardrobe, a bed, a plain wooden chair and the table that now held her lunch. Anneliese's stomach growled at the thought of food but when she actually inspected the meal she suddenly wasn't feeling all that hungry.

There was a small piece of meat in the middle of one plate; at least she thought it was meat. A few weeks ago it might have been, but now it looked like someone had taken something her cat threw up and fried it in a pan of oil. Beside it were a few slices of cheese that was a few shades darker than it should be and seemed to have taken on a waxy consistency. There was a bowl of soup but it looked to be nothing more than water, limp vegetables and small chunks of whatever it was that was on her plate. _Surely they must have something better than this, _she thought but then she laughed. "Of course they don't," she said out loud. "They're vampires. They don't need fresh food. They only eat..." Anneliese shuddered and pushed the thought aside. She was about to question what Koukol lived on but judging by the way he looked and smelled she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Just then the spoon on the tray caught her eye. It was the only utensil Koukol had left for her. She knew spoons could do more damage than most people even dare to think of, but she was no match for Von Krolock. He would snap her neck before she even grabbed the spoon, let alone got it anywhere near his face. She knew her only way out of her situation was to escape.

Anneliese looked at the window. _I'll just jump. We didn't come up that many stairs; we can't be too high up. Besides, I'd rather leave here with a broken bone or two than not leave here at all! _Without another thought, she grabbed the chair and hurled it into the window. Anneliese shielded her face with her arms as thick shards of colored glass burst into the room, cutting her exposed skin. When it was safe she inspected the damage she had done and frowned to find that while most of the glass was gone, the leading still remained. She stuck her fingers in the open spaces to hook them around the leading, closed her hands tight and pulled as hard as she could, ignoring the pain as splinters of glass stuck in the leading sliced into her hands. Even though the hard leading wouldn't budge, she continued to pull over and over again until the pain in her hands became too much to bear. Out of breath and feeling on the verge of tears, she rested her head carefully against the window frame and breathed deeply a few times to calm herself. It was then that she realized just how low the sun was.

"It's hopeless..." Anneliese could feel the tears coming. Unable to do anything else, she curled up in a ball on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"Hmm?" Anneliese mumbled in her sleep.

"I said your hair is dry," a male voice said in her ear. Anneliese's eyes flew open and she screamed when she saw a young blonde man lying next to her on the bed. He quickly clamped a hand down over her mouth to silence her. "Shush! Not everyone is awake yet! You don't want to deal with cranky vampires, now do you?"

"Vampires? You mean... there's more than one?" The castle had been so quiet when Anneliese first arrived that she never imagined there were more of the creatures.

"Of course there's more than one, silly girl." The young man smiled and when Anneliese caught sight of his fangs she screamed again and pushed herself away from him, causing herself to fall off the bed and onto the floor. The blonde peered over the edge, still smiling at her. "I'm Herbert von Krolock." Anneliese barely heard him as she frantically felt her neck for bite marks. "I didn't bite you, if that's what you're looking for," Herbert sighed. "That's not to say I wasn't tempted. All that dried blood on your hands and arms..." Anneliese looked down at herself to inspect the damage she had done when she broke the window. "...but I'm not allowed to have you."

"Have me? What do you mean _have _me?" Anneliese watched as Herbert sat up on the bed and straightened his hair and clothing.

"You belong to my father. The Count. You met him earlier." Herbert winked at Anneliese. His whole attitude made her want to slap him but at the same time she was too afraid to touch him. "Anyway, he's going to be awfully mad when he sees this mess you've made." Anneliese clenched her teeth and folded her arms across her chest.

"I don't really care," she sniffed.

"No, I guess you wouldn't." Herbert got off the bed and walked to the door. "It doesn't really matter does it? I mean, after tonight nothing will really matter for you anymore."

"What do y-" Before Anneliese could finish her question, Herbert had bolted out of the room, locking the door behind him. Anneliese closed her eyes and leaned back against the side of the bed. Her head ached horribly and so did her stomach. She hadn't eaten since dinner the night before and she was really hungry now.

"I'm truly sorry I didn't have better food to offer you earlier." Anneliese jumped and pushed herself back into the corner when she saw Von Krolock leaning against the door.

"How did... The door... You..." Anneliese was certain the door hadn't opened; she would have heard him come in if he had. The thought that he could seemingly walk through walls scared her so much she couldn't find the words she was looking for to form a coherent sentence.

"I am usually a much better host but to be fair, it's not as if I was expecting company." Von Krolock was grinning but the grin disappeared when he looked at the broken window.

"How did you get in here?" Anneliese asked when the words finally came to her. "How did you get into this room? You never opened th-"

"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Anneliese stared blankly at Von Krolock.

"What?"

"My window." Von Krolock's voice raised in annoyance but he wasn't quiet shouting... yet. "Did you not know that you cannot just break a stained glass window? The pieces in the ones downstairs were large enough for you to fit through but these..." He stopped talking to inspect the damage she had done. "These are intricate pieces of art." There was a hint of sadness in Von Krolock's voice and Anneliese almost began to feel bad for what she had done until she reminded herself what this man intended on doing to her. "Besides, incase you didn't notice this side of the castle stands along the edge of a cliff. If you tried to jump out of this window you would simply crash to the rocks below, breaking every single bone in your body." He turned around to face Anneliese again and offered a broad smile. "You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

"Actually, yes I would." Anneliese forced herself to her feet and took a few timid steps toward the vampire. "I would much rather fall to my death than be bitten by a monster like you. I would rather die now and be with my Father in Heaven than be turned into one of you and forced to spend eternity living in such sin!" Von Krolock laughed so loudly Anneliese swore she could feel it vibrate to her very soul.

"Heaven!" He laughed. "There is no Heaven. There is life, which is full of nothing but turmoil, and your only reward for getting through it is nothingness. When you die, it is over. _You _are over. And you, my little Anneliese..." Von Krolock pointed a long finger at Anneliese. He moved closer to her but she held her ground. "You are not one to speak of sin. You are not pure like other girls your age. No... you are far from it." He took a few more steps, closing the space between them a little more. "If I recall correctly, according to your so-called _Father_, that is a sin that weighs heavily. But that's nothing compared to what else you have done, is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anneliese snapped. She felt tears sting her eyes and she quickly blinked them away.

"I am sure you do, Anneliese. Taking the life of a newborn is not something one forgets easily." By now Von Krolock and Anneliese were standing toe to toe. Anneliese had never been so frightened in her entire life as she was that very moment but she refused to show her fear to the vampire. "A young girl doesn't carry a child for nine months, give birth to it then abandon it in the middle of nowhere completely exposed to wild animals and simply forget about it. You're a murderer, Anneliese. Murderers don't go to Heaven." Something suddenly broke inside Anneliese and the tears began to stream down her face.

"I... I was just a child," she whispered. "It was twelve years ago. I was only eleven-"

"Eleven year olds know right from wrong."

"-and my parents... they were both dead."

"Even eleven year old orphans know right from wrong, Anneliese." The tears continued to flow and Anneliese wanted nothing more than to look away but the longer she stared into Von Krolock's icy blue eyes, the less control she seemed to have over herself.

"I was given to a couple that had a farm," she continued unwillingly. "I loved Gertrude like she was my own mother, but her husband Hans... He... He..."

"What did he do to you, Anneliese?" Von Krolock cupped the girl's small face in his hands and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "What did he do?" He whispered.

"He... touched me." Anneliese's face flushed in embarrassment. She had never spoken a word of what had happened to anyone before. She certainly had no desire to expose everything to the Count but she couldn't stop herself. "He forced me. Many times. I couldn't tell Gertrude what he was doing to me..."

"Why couldn't you tell her? What would she have done?"

"She wouldn't have believed me!" Anneliese's voice broke as a sob tore through her body. "They would have thrown me out! I had no choice but to take it. And then..."

"The child." Anneliese nodded.

"Hans helped me keep it hidden from Gertrude. When it was time he sent me out back to the barn and told me I had better not come back with the child. I couldn't walk all the way into town and I just didn't know what else to do!" More sobs came and Anneliese was unable to go on any longer. Von Krolock embraced her and allowed her to cry as he caressed her back and whispered consoling words to her. It wasn't until her sobs lessened into soft cries that he spoke again.

"I can take it away, Anneliese. I can take away all this pain. Would you like that? To be released from your burden?" Anneliese nodded against Von Krolock's chest. "I can put an end to it right now. Tell me it's what you want." Anneliese felt Von Krolock's nails scrape lightly against her neck as he used his fingers to comb her hair aside.

"Wait... Stop it." Anneliese tried to pull away from the Count but his grip around her was like iron. "What are you going to do to me?"

"It will only hurt more if you struggle," Von Krolock warned.

"No! No, I don't want this! Let go of me!" Anneliese struggled against the vampire.

"Be still!" Von Krolock grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head painfully to the side. "Ah yes. That's better." He lowered his head toward her neck but before his lips could touch her, Anneliese reached up and dragged her nails down the side of his face. Crying out in pain, Von Krolock released Anneliese and took a step back, holding a hand over the fresh wound. "You little bitch!" He swung a closed fist and hit Anneliese squarely in the jaw causing her to crumple into a heap on the floor. "I tried to make this easy on you," he snarled down at her. "It wouldn't have hurt as much if you had just let me do it. But now..." He gave a laugh that chilled Anneliese to the core. "Now I'm going to make sure I bring you more pain than you've ever felt in your entire life." Von Krolock grabbed Anneliese by her neck and pulled her to her feet, pinning her against the wall.

"Look at me, Anneliese. Look me in the eye." Anneliese complied. "I'm not going to change you," he growled, "so you better start praying to your god for forgiveness for your sins because I'm going to rip you shreds."

"Go ahead and do it," Anneliese growled right back through her tears. "My friends will be coming to look for me. They know I'm here. They will come and when they find what you've done to me, they will rip _you_ to shreds!" Von Krolock laughed at her threat. "One week." Von Krolock squeezed her neck a little tighter.

"One week what?" He asked.

"Give me-" Anneliese coughed as she struggled to breathe. "Give me one week with my safety guaranteed and if my friends come for me, you let me go and no one will hurt you." Von Krolock loosened his grip slightly.

"And if they don't?"

"You can do what you want with me. Change me, kill me... it's up to you." Von Krolock tightened his grip again causing Anneliese to squirm against him.

"Or I could just kill you right now," the vampire hissed. "Your little friends will be no match for me."

"I'm not afraid of you." Anneliese waited for a response but when none came she continued. "You can kill me now, but I'm not afraid of you. Isn't that what you want? For me to fear you? What is it that makes fear taste so good, Your Excellency?" Von Krolock's eyes narrowed as Anneliese taunted him and it took every bit of restraint within him to keep himself from breaking her neck right there. "You want me to be afraid of you, but I'm not. Give me one week and maybe-just maybe-you will succeed in scaring me. What do you think, Your Excellency? Are you up for the challenge?" Von Krolock contemplated Anneliese's proposal for a moment. He stared into her eyes and smiled, exposing his fangs to her. He watched as her eyes shifted down at them then back up to meet his gaze again but her expression didn't change. He had always been good at reading human beings but this girl seemed impossible.

"It's a deal," he finally said. He knew no one would be coming for her. He knew it from the very moment he had seen her trying to break into his castle. He'd have to wait a week for this particular meal, but if it meant allowing her to simmer in her own fear all week, he would get to enjoy this meal even more. Letting go of Anneliese, Von Krolock pulled back and walked across the room to the door. "You have seven days. If no one comes looking for you by the end of the seventh day, then on the eighth day you are mine to do with as I please. You are free to walk about the castle but all doors leading out will be secured." The whole time he spoke he never turned to face Anneliese and for some reason this scared her more than she had been just a few moments ago. "If you try to escape during those seven days, you will have broken our agreement and I will kill you on the spot, if I so please." With that, Von Krolock left Anneliese, closing the door behind him but this time he left it unlocked.

Anneliese remained perfectly still until she was absolutely sure Von Krolock was gone. The minutes passed and when there was no sign of him she buried her face against her arm and bit down on her sleeve in an effort to muffle her cries. She hadn't told anyone she was going to the castle. When the boy had dared her she had declined but later that night she decided after all to prove him wrong and had left for the castle without telling anyone. Now she had to rely completely on herself to get out of the mess she had created and she hoped one week would give her enough time to find a way out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Koukol, you can finish that later. Father needs you to prepare the dinner table now." Anneliese rolled over on the bed to find Herbert and Koukol in her room. Koukol was holding a broom and dust pan and he had swept the broken stained glass into a large pile. Herbert was carrying an armful of clothing which he brought over to her. When he dumped them on the bed beside her she crinkled her nose when she realized they were all corsets and stockings. Herbert watched as Koukol hobbled out of the room and when the hunchback closed the door behind him, Herbert put his attention on Anneliese. "Father asked me to come help you dress for dinner."

"What-" Anneliese flinched at the pain in her throat. She coughed a few times and wished she had a cool glass of water to soothe it. The thought of that cool glass of water made her sigh; she hadn't had a drink in hours. "What time is it?" Her voice was raspy and it hurt to talk but she ignored the pain. Herbert shrugged as he arranged the undergarments he had placed on the bed.

"Nine. Or maybe ten. I'm not really sure. I just know Father is waiting for you to join him for dinner so we have to hurry. Normally he is a patient man but he most certainly is not being very patient tonight." Herbert lowered his voice a little. "I can't imagine why," he said as he reached out to trace a finger over the large bruise on Anneliese's jaw. Anneliese quickly slapped his hand away.

"Keep your hands off of me!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. That is unless you think you can lace up this corset on your own." He dropped a corset on her lap and went on. "It laces up in the back so I'm not sure-"

"I will not wear this," Anneliese said evenly and she pushed the garment off of her lap and onto the floor. Herbert quickly picked it up and examined it closely.

"You _are _a rude little thing, aren't you!" He snapped. "Is this how you repay our hospitality? By carelessly tossing expensive things that don't even belong to you around like they are junk?"

"Hospitality? Your father has locked me in this room, hit me, choked me and threatened to kill me!" Anneliese climbed out of the bed as she spoke so she could be eye to eye with Herbert. "I wouldn't call that hospitality!"

"Come now, there's no reason to get so worked up." Herbert placed is hands firmly on Anneliese's shoulders and forced her to sit back down on the bed. "It all could have been avoided if you just hadn't provoked him." Anneliese's eyes narrowed as the anger continued to build up inside her.

"Are you suggesting this is all _my _fault? I didn't ask for any of this!" She tried to stand up but Herbert pushed her down again.

"You broke one of his windows," he reminded her. "You tried to break into our home, you attacked him twice since you have been here and you threatened his life." Anneliese stared at Herbert unable to believe what she was hearing.

"You are unbelievable," she said softly as she shook her head. "Truly unbelievable..."

"Now we really must hurry and make you presentable." Herbert looked Anneliese over and frowned. "Well... as presentable as possible. Start with these while I pick out a dress." Herbert handed Anneliese the corset and a pair of stockings but Anneliese remained still as she watched him rummage through the armoire. When he turned around with a long pink dress layered in ribbons and lace she tossed the undergarments aside and headed straight for the door.

"I am not wearing that thing!"

"Why not?" Herbert asked defensively as if she had offended him. "The color will compliment your eyes." Anneliese stopped at the door and looked at Herbert.

"It's hideous," she said bluntly. Herbert's jaw dropped; he looked down at the gown he was now cradling in his arms and caressed one of the shiny ribbons.

"It most certainly is not."

"Then _you_ wear it." Herbert gave Anneliese a sly smile. She noticed this time his fangs were gone and it gave her a little relief.

"You think I haven't tried already?" He held the gown against his body and looked down at himself. "It's nice but it doesn't fit me well at all. You will fill it out much more nicely than I can." Anneliese blushed.

"I am not wearing it," she told him again.

"You have no choice. Father will not allow you to sit at his table-especially not in his presence-in the state you are in now." Herbert held the gown out to Anneliese but she folded her arms across her chest to show him she had no intentions on taking it from him.

"I hate pink, I hate ribbons, I hate lace, and I hate wearing such girlish dresses. I am not wearing it!" Anneliese turned and walked out of the room. As she walked down the hall she heard Herbert call out after her.

"You're only going to make him angry again!"

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese reached the large staircase when she realized she had no idea where she was headed. When she had left the room she had had no intentions of joining Von Krolock for whatever it would be that he considered _dinner_ but now she could smell something and it smelled very good. The delicious smell grew stronger as she made her way down the stairs but before she reached the bottom the room suddenly seemed to spin around her and her legs grew weak causing her to sit down on the stair. She folded her arms over her knees and rested her head on her arms.

_I can't do this_, she thought. She took a deep breath that shook as she tried to suppress her tears. _I can't face him again_. She considered skipping dinner altogether but her hunger pains increased with the smell of the food drifting through the castle.

"Dinner." Anneliese was poked roughly on the shoulder and she looked up to see Koukol standing in front of her. "Dinner." he repeated. Anneliese pulled herself up, using the bannister for support and followed Koukol down the rest of the stairs. As the crossed the foyer she stopped when she saw the front door.

"Koukol?" Koukol growled and turned to look at Anneliese. "Unlock the door for me, Koukol. Please?"

"Dinner. Master. He is waiting."

"Koukol, please!" Anneliese didn't dare raise her voice above a whisper. "Unlock the door for me. I promise I won't say a word to anyone where I have been. No one will come up h-"

"Anneliese!" Anneliese jumped at the sound of Von Krolock's voice coming from the next room. "It would be wise of you to do as Koukol says. Your dinner is getting cold and my patience for you is wearing thin!" Anneliese spotted a large candlestick on a nearby table. Her first thought was to grab it and break one of the windows to escape but she quickly pushed the thought aside. _If he can simply appear out of nowhere, he will catch me before I even make it into the forest_, she told herself. _Of course that is assuming he isn't reading my mind right now. If he is I won't even reach the window before he catches me, let alone actually make it outside._ She had already been put through so much; she didn't think she could handle anymore. All she wanted to do was eat and the food in the next room smelled so good she could almost taste it. With a heavy sigh she followed Koukol into the dining room.

The first thing Anneliese saw when she entered was the array of food placed on the long table that filled the middle of the room. There was enough food to feed as many guests that could be seated at the table, yet the only place set was her own and the only other person in the room was Von Krolock. She followed Koukol to her seat which was to the right of where Von Krolock sat at the head of the table. She moved to sit but froze when Von Krolock spoke.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I am joining you for dinner. Just as you requested." They stared at each other for a moment before Von Krolock raised an eyebrow as if expecting something from her. "Just as you requested... Your Excellency," she sighed.

"You will do no such thing dressed like that. I told Her-"

"I have no desire to wear such a frilly disaster of a dress!" Von Krolock glared at Anneliese and she suddenly wished she had just kept her mouth shut.

"Considering what happened earlier, your audacity surprises me." The vampire's tone was unsettlingly calm. "You will return to your room and dress yourself properly. Then-and only then-you may return." Without considering the potential repercussions of her action, Anneliese sat down and picked up a spoon but before she could dip the spoon into her soup, Von Krolock placed his hand over the bowl. "Upstairs," he growled. "Now."

"No," Anneliese said, looking directly into the Count's eyes. "I will not."

"Yes you will." The first time Von Krolock had spoken Anneliese had noticed that his fangs weren't out but now they had come out full with his anger.

"No, I will n-" Von Krolock stood so quickly from his chair that it fell back onto the floor with a loud bang.

"You will do as I say, or you will not eat!" Picking up the bowl, he threw it across the room and it hit a wall, shattering into pieces. Anneliese jumped up and ran out of the room; she had told herself on the way down that she wouldn't show him any fear but now she was too scared to care. She hadn't thought it was possible but he seemed more angry with her now than he had been earlier that evening and she realized that she had to be more careful. They had come to an agreement but she had no reason to believe the Count was a man of his word. If she pushed him too far... she didn't even want to think of what he would do to her. She ran back the way she had come, up the stairs and down the hallway then into her room where she stopped short.

"I knew you would be back." Herbert rose from the bed and held up a new dress. "I thought if you hate pink so much, maybe you would prefer a blue one." Anneliese opened her mouth to protest but her hunger was so strong now that she no longer had the strength to fight.

"Thank you." Her voice was just barely above a whisper. She closed the door and allowed Herbert to help her change, neither one saying a word to the other during the entire process. When she was dressed he opened the armoire to reveal a mirror on the back of one of the doors. Looking into the mirror, Anneliese barely even noticed the dress as she was focused on all her injuries. She had a cut at the corner of her mouth from where Von Krolock had first hit her and a dark bruise on her jaw. Her neck was lightly bruised and her hands and arms were cut up and still covered in dried blood. _Why won't they give me some water to clean up? _She almost laughed out loud at her own question; she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"There. That isn't so bad now is it?" Herbert's voice came from directly behind her and Anneliese shuddered when she realized she couldn't see him in the mirror. She tried to respond but all she could do was shake her head. "Here." When she heard Herbert speak again she pulled her eyes away from the mirror to find he was offering her his handkerchief. She looked up at him questioningly. "You're crying." She touched her face with the back of her hand and realizing he was right, she took the handkerchief and quickly dried her eyes. His voice had still been cold but the simple action of offering her his handkerchief was the first bit of kindness anyone had shown her since she arrived. He would never become her friend, but she knew he was very different from his father and that alone comforted her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Your Excellency?" Von Krolock was still seated at the dinner table when Anneliese returned. He was leaning back in his chair resting his eyes. She stood cautiously in the doorway, waiting for him to respond. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up. As he looked at her she could have sworn the look in his eyes had softened but the moment disappeared as quickly as it had come. "May I join you now, Your Excellency?" Anneliese hated having to force herself to be subservient to the Count but if she didn't want to starve to death before she found a chance to escape, she had no choice. Von Krolock stood up and Anneliese realized for the first time since she had arrived, he had removed his cape which was now draped over the back of his chair. For some reason she couldn't figure out, he seemed less imposing without it.

"Come in, Anneliese." He gestured toward her seat and Anneliese made her way over to sit down. "You look like a respectable young lady now. It makes such a difference, even the way you carry yourself has improved. Wouldn't you agree?" Anneliese fidgeted within the confines of her gown.

"It itches," she said. When Von Krolock laughed at her response she couldn't help but notice how almost pleasant his laugh was when he wasn't so angry. _Don't fall for it_, she chastised herself. _It's just another one of his tricks_. When they were both seated Anneliese saw that while her place had been reset with a new bowl of soup, all Von Krolock had before him was a goblet half filled with red wine and an unmarked wine bottle. "Won't you be eating with me?"

"Of course," he replied. He picked up his goblet and took a sip.

"But you don't have any..." Von Krolock looked at Anneliese over the edge of his glass as he drank and she was unable to finish talking. The look in his eyes said everything. "Oh..." Anneliese quickly turned her attention down to her soup. The thought of what was in Von Krolock's glass made her feel queasy and she couldn't afford to lose her appetite now after not having eaten in over a day. She forced herself not to think about it as she placed a spoonful of her soup into her mouth. If it was possible, it tasted more heavenly than it had smelled.

"Care for a sip?" Von Krolock offered his glass to Anneliese and she crinkled her nose in disgust.

"No!" She snapped, then quickly added, "Thank you. No thank you." She took another spoonful of her soup and the Count chuckled softly.

"I guess you do have enough of your own." He gave her a wink and when Anneliese looked down at her bowl to find it filled with the same red liquid that was in his goblet, she spat out what was in her mouth and coughed so hard she thought she was going to vomit. It wasn't until she calmed down and her stomach settled again that she realized how hard the vampire was laughing. She looked at her bowl again and her face reddened when she saw it was nothing but vegetable soup. "Is there a problem with the food?" Von Krolock's voice wavered slightly as he struggled not to laugh. Anneliese wiped her eyes and mouth with her napkin.

"Not at all," she said through a clenched jaw. "The food is lovely." They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Von Krolock seemed to pay little attention to Anneliese but every so often, Anneliese would catch herself closely studying the Count. The first thing she noticed was that both wounds she had inflicted upon him-the burn on his hand and the scratch on his face-were completely gone. There weren't even any scars; it was as if she had never hurt him. The other thing she noticed was how physically different he was from his son.

She knew the very first moment she met Herbert that their personalities were near polar opposites but now she saw that they barely even looked alike. Herbert's dark brown eyes and his hair that was so blonde it almost looked white was a stark contrast to his father's clear blue eyes and dark, but greying, hair. Herbert's facial features were almost feminine with an upturned nose, full lips, a delicate chin and prominent cheekbones. She thought of what he had said about trying on the gowns himself and she had to suppress a laugh. She imagined that he would make a very convincing woman if he wore a dress and did his hair just right. Von Krolock was a different story. He was more attractive than she wanted to admit and in a very masculine way. Besides his eyes and his strongly set jaw, there really was nothing particularly special about his face but somehow all of his seemingly average features made him seem... beautiful. There was just no other word to describe him. Anneliese forced herself to look away; she couldn't believe she was thinking such thoughts about this man... this _creature_ that was holding her hostage and threatening to kill her.

"Thank you." Anneliese jumped a little when Von Krolock's voice broke the silence.

"I didn't say anything."

"I heard you nonetheless." Anneliese didn't have to look at the vampire to know he was giving her that sarcastic smile of his and she could feel her entire body grow uncomfortably warm as she blushed. They sat in silence again-Anneliese eating her dinner while Von Krolock read a book-for a while longer before Anneliese found the courage to speak once more.

"Is Herbert really your son?"

"What kind of question is that?" Von Krolock asked without looking up from his book. "Of course he is my son."

"I mean is he your _real_ son? Did you..." Anneliese struggled to find a polite way to word what she wanted to say.

"Just say it, Anneliese," he sighed.

"Did you have-"

"Did I fuck a woman and get her pregnant?" Von Krolock's eyes met Anneliese's and she blushed once again but, as much as she wanted to, she was unable to look away.

"Y-yes... That..." Anneliese couldn't bring herself to repeat it. "Were you married? Were you human then or were you a vampire already? If you were already a vampire, was she a vampire as well? Or was she human?" Anneliese knew she should stop but she couldn't. "Can vampires even get humans pregnant?"

"Anneliese..." The Count's voice was filled with warning but Anneliese took no notice.

"Or other vampires for that matter? Can vampires get pregnant?" She went on.

"Anneliese..." He spoke a little louder but the young girl continued to ramble.

"Was Herbert born a vampire or did you bite him? Is he even your natural born son? Was he just one of your vict-"

"Anneliese!" Von Krolock slammed his book down on the table, finally getting her attention. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"I'm just curious!" Anneliese snapped.

"Considering the situation you are currently in I don't think it's very wise for you to be so damn curious," Von Krolock shot back and Anneliese shrunk back in her chair. Von Krolock returned to his book but barely a minute later he shut it again. "What is it that makes you so curious where my son came from?"

"Well... The two of you are so different from one another that I-"

"Different? Precisely how are we so different?"

"You hardly look like each other," Anneliese offered.

"Many sons don't look like their fathers."

"Maybe so. But for a vampire, Herbert is pretty nice and you've been simply dreadful!" The second the words came out Anneliese regretted it and she clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Dreadful? _Dreadful_?" Von Krolock repeated the word slowly as if savoring the taste of it.

"I'm sorry, Your Ex-"

"I've been _dreadful_?"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that..." Anneliese's voice shook and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"How exactly did you mean it then?" Von Krolock slowly rose to his feet. He placed his hands on the table and leaned over so he was looking down at Anneliese. All Anneliese could do was shake her head. "I could have killed you hours ago," he reminded her. "But instead I agreed to your silly little bargain. I've given you a bed to sleep on instead of a hard floor! I've provided you with clothes so you don't have to wear that filthy rag of a dress all week!" His voice began to rise with each sentence until he was finally shouting. "I could have forced you to live on bread and water all week but instead tonight you have eaten better than you have in your entire life!" By now Von Krolock was leaning so far over the table he was practically laying on top of it. His face was mere inches away from Anneliese's and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his two razor sharp fangs. "All this after you've attacked me, destroyed my property and have done nothing but disrespect me and you have the nerve to call _me_ dreadful!"

Von Krolock climbed onto the table. He pushed her place setting out of the way and kneeled in front of her, placing his hands on the armrests of her chair and pinning her in place. "You are trying my patience, Anneliese," he growled. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his lips brush against her ear as he spoke. "It isn't wise to test me like this." The Count's cool cheek slid against her own as he moved his head to bring his mouth down to the side of her neck. "It isn't wise at all." His breathing was labored and as he spoke his cool breath blew against the tender flesh of her throat sending a chill-a chill of fear or excitement, she couldn't tell-through her body.

"Please..." Anneliese begged, her voice so weak it could barely be heard. Afraid to see what he would do next, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"I am nothing but a dreadful monster," Von Krolock whispered. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her blood, and moaned. He recalled the little taste he had been given and how sweet it was. He wanted... he _needed_ more. "I can't be expected to control myself."

"Oh God," Anneliese whimpered. "Please stop. You promised... You p-" Her words were cut off with a cry when she felt something cold and wet touch her neck. Von Krolock groaned softly and and licked her neck a second time, starting from her collarbone and not stopping until he reached her jaw.

"No," he sighed, his lips pressed against her neck. "I can't be expected to control myself at all." He brought a hand up to her neck and traced the line of her jugular with one long nail. "If you continue to push me so, I just might... snap." He pinched a bit of her skin between two nails and Anneliese screamed loudly. A few seconds passed-seconds that felt like an eternity to Anneliese-before the pain subsided. She waited for something else to happen and when nothing did, she slowly opened her eyes to find Von Krolock sitting in his seat, reading his book. She then saw that her place setting was on the table before her again as if it had never been moved. She brought her hands to her neck and frantically felt for any signs that she had been bitten but there was nothing. It was almost as if it had all been just a dream.

"Well, our time together has been... amusing," Von Krolock said as he placed his book down on the table, stood up and pulled his cloak over his shoulders, "but there is much yet to do before morning. You are free to roam about the castle as I said before. My home is your home for the next seven days." He walked toward the doorway Anneliese figured must lead into the kitchen but stopped and looked back at her one last time. "Heed my warning, Anneliese," he said softly. "Do. Not. Push. Me." Anneliese's heart began to race as she realized what had happened wasn't a dream after all. "I _will_ snap. And I _will_ hurt you. Bargain or no bargain. Do you understand?" Anneliese nodded slowly. Satisfied he had gotten his point across, Von Krolock left her alone.

Anneliese sat quietly and waited and once she was certain Von Krolock would not be returning, she got up and slowly made her way through each room of the first floor of the castle. If she was going to escape she had to start figuring out just how she would do it immediately. There were a total of five rooms on the floor floor: the dining room, the foyer, a sitting room, a library and the fifth room she assumed was the kitchen. This was the room Von Krolock had gone into after leaving Anneliese in the dining room and even though she was almost certain he was long gone, she was too afraid of running into him to go in there. She would have a look during the day when she knew the Count and his son would be sleeping, although if she was correct in thinking the kitchen was below her bedroom, any windows there would face directly out over the cliff.

In the dining room one wall was filled with long, narrow windows; too narrow for her to climb through. Leaving the dining room, she crossed the foyer and opened the first door she came to. The fact that the sitting room was relatively sparse of furniture compared to most sitting rooms didn't surprise Anneliese. She couldn't imagine Castle von Krolock saw many guests. The windows in this room-like every other room it seemed-were made of stained glass but the panels were similar to the windows in the foyer. Upon closer inspection she knew it would be a tight fit, but she was certain she would be able to push herself through. More than anything she wanted to smash the glass and escape right then and there but it was too risky. She had to wait until daylight when the only one around would be Koukol.

Just then Anneliese yawned deeply. She was afraid to fall asleep again while Von Krolock and his son were awake but if she was to make it through the forest and all the way back to the village the next day, sleep was absolutely necessary. She left the room but instead of going directly to her room she decided to take a peek in the last room. Unlike the other rooms, this one hadn't yet been lit and though she knew the moon was full and bright this time of the month, the stained glass in the windows was made of dark colors like all the rest so the moonlight did little to brighten the room. She barely needed any light, however; she could tell by the pleasant slightly musty smell that she was in a library. She would have been willing to put off sleep a little longer for a chance to look around but it was too dark. She turned to leave but her hand froze before she could even grab the door knob when she heard what sounded like whispering coming from behind her. She looked back at the darkened room but she could see and hear nothing.

"I'm so tired I'm hearing things," she laughed, but she wasn't thoroughly convinced. She reached for the door knob again and just as she swung the door open, she heard the voices again; they were still whispers but this time a little louder than before. "That's enough, Anneliese!" She scolded herself. "Stop being so frightened. It's only your imag-" Her voice caught in her throat when she turned around and saw a few figures now standing in the little bit of muted light the windows allowed through. She had no idea who they were and she wasn't about to wait to find out. She backed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her. She was tempted to run up the stairs and back to her room but she didn't want to risk running into Von Krolock that way. The less fear she showed around him the better it would be even if for no other reason than simply not allowing him complete control over her. She leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths until her heart slowed to a normal pace. When she opened her eyes again she noticed a door underneath the staircase. She hurried over to it but just as she opened the door she cried out in pain as something hard poked her in her back. Spinning around, she found Koukol standing behind her carrying a handful of candles under one arm. He held one of those candles in his hand and was pointing it at her. Before she could say anything, Koukol poked her with the candle a second time, this time on the shoulder.

"Stop that!" Anneliese slapped the candle away from her and Koukol pointed it at her again.

"Stay. Awaaaayyy," he groaned. His voice was so raspy that it seemed to Anneliese it took Koukol a great deal of effort to speak.

"The Count told me I could go anywhere in the castle I'd like to go and I'd like to go through this door." Anneliese tried to hurry through the door but Koukol poked her hard against her back with the candle again, over and over until she finally moved away from the door. "Ouch! Ouch! Koukol! Stop it!" He chased her with the candle until she started up the stairs and then he stood and watched, waiting until she turned down the hallway that lead to her bedroom before going about his duties.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. I went away for a week but here is an extra long chapter to make up for it :)

Thank you for your review, Wannabe-Vampirin. I appreciate your concern and your suggestion but I have some descriptive mature/violent scenes in this coming up eventually which is why I opted to give it an M rating. I just have to hope more people will come along that think to check all ratings and find this :)

* * *

Anneliese smiled and sighed when she felt the warm light against her face. She opened her eyes slowly expecting to see the familiar surroundings of her own tiny bedroom but when she realized that it all hadn't been just a dream, her smile quickly turned into a frown. She sat up and stretched; she didn't think she would have been able to sleep and it surprised her that she had fallen asleep so quickly and slept so deeply through the rest of the night. She looked around the room and when she caught sight of the broken window, her smile returned as she recalled the windows in the sitting room. Without changing out of her nightgown she raced out of her room but stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the bottom of the stairs to find the windows in the foyer were boarded shut. She ran frantically through each room, fear, anger and frustration building within her bit by bit when she found every single window was boarded shut.

"Koukol? Koukol!" Anneliese called out for the hunchback until she finally found him in the kitchen. "The windows!" She panted between breaths. "Why are they boarded shut?"

"Noooo. Escape!" Anneliese watched in defeat as Koukol hobbled through a door that led outside then locked the door behind him. Every door that led outside was locked, every window on the first floor was now boarded up and all the windows on the second floor were impossible to break. She wondered if her only way out of this place as painlessly as possible was to kill herself but then she remembered the door beneath the staircase. Unsure of how long Koukol would be gone for, she hurried back to the mysterious door and flung it open before she could lose the nerve, being afraid of what could possibly be on the other side of it that was so off limits to her.

Through the doorway she found a long iron spiral staircase that led to a windowless room just barely lit by a few gas lamps. She thought it must be a cellar of some sort until she was far enough down the stairs to see two ornate coffins lying side by side. She realized where she was and she was pretty certain she knew who she would find in those coffins. She could see that the only way out of this small crypt was the stairs she had just taken; there was no door that led outside. She knew she should just go back upstairs and try to work out another plan to escape but as always, her curiosity got the better of her. She placed herself in between the two coffins and looked at each one carefully. They were exactly the same; if she opened one there was no telling who she would find: father or son.

Anneliese took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves then timidly reached for the coffin to her right. The lid was heavy and it took a lot of effort but she eventually managed to open it and she was filled with a sense of relief when she saw the younger, blonde vampire sleeping peacefully within the satin lining. She knew he could hurt her; he was just as dangerous as Von Krolock himself and she would not allow herself to forget this, but at the same time there was something so different about him. The Count seemed so angry and miserable as if he hated every waking moment of his life, but his son seemed to act as if it were all just a game to have fun with and enjoy. With Von Krolock her life was hanging by a thread and she had to walk on egg shells around him; she didn't feel the same threat from Herbert and she truly believed if she woke him up right now, he would have found the situation amusing. He wouldn't blow up in a rage like his father.

"He is my son." Startled from her thoughts, Anneliese spun around to find Von Krolock sitting up in his coffin and staring at her with emotionless eyes. "It does not matter how he became my son. All that matters is that he is my son and if you harm him-"

"I wasn't going to, Your Excellency," Anneliese said quickly, "I was ju-"

"If you harm him," he repeated, raising his voice, "I will leave you wishing I would kill you just to put you out of your misery. Is that understood?" Anneliese nodded. "Good. Now, put the lid down again." Anneliese did as she was told, being careful not to wake Herbert in the process. "Now leave and do not come down here again." Anneliese backed slowly away from the coffins, not turning her back to the Count until she reached the stairs. She was almost to the top when she heard Von Krolock call out to her. "By the way Anneliese, I am sorry to tell you that no one ever did show up last night looking for you." Anneliese continued up the stairs, trying hard to ignore Von Krolock's words. "Today is day two, Anneliese. Day two!" Tears stung Anneliese's eyes as Von Krolock's throaty chuckle echoed around her, bouncing off the stone walls.

Anneliese stormed out of the crypt, slamming the door shut behind her, and found herself faced with Koukol. He grunted something that sounded like _lunch_ but she was sure she heard wrong. "Lunch already? But I haven't even had breakfast. What time is it?" He didn't answer but as she followed him to the dining room she caught site of a grandfather clock against one of the walls. She was shocked to see it was already nearly four in the afternoon and she wondered what time she had awoken. She knew it was because she had stayed up so late the night before and she wondered if this was going to continue all week, if she was going to be forced to adapt to the same sleeping habits as everyone else at Castle von Krolock. This thought brought back the image of the figures in the library and she shuddered. _Just how many of those creatures are there here?_ She decided she would ask Von Krolock later that evening, assuming he wasn't too angry at her for venturing down into the crypt. For now she did her best to clear her mind of all such thoughts and settled down to enjoy her meal.

-.-.-.-.-

"Aaa-aannne," Herbert whispered before blowing gently into her face. "Wake up sleepyhead!" Anneliese yawned and rolled away from Herbert but woke up with a start when she heard a loud bang. She found herself in the library and realized she must have fallen asleep there. Looking down she saw the book she had been reading was now on the floor. "You really do sleep a lot, don't you."

"Please do forgive me," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe if the past thirty-six hours hadn't been so traumatic and maybe if I wasn't trapped here with the threat of your father murdering me six days from now I-"

"But I thought you had friends coming to look for you. Unless..." Herbert's jaw dropped and he gasped. He plopped down on the sofa beside Anneliese, placed an arm around her shoulders and leaned in close. "Unless you've worked out an escape!" He whispered with a giggle. "Is that what you are doing? Are you planning an escape? Do share it with me! All the girls father brings home... oh, Anneliese. They're all the same and it gets so dull around here! They're always so weak and ignorant and they all think Father loves them and they always just allow him to bite them. Can you believe it? They actually believe Father _loves_ them! Father doesn't love anyone!" Anneliese tried to tell Herbert to be quiet but he continued to ramble on. "There is just no excitement with those foolish girls, but you! You're so different! An escape! How thrilling this will be!"

"I'm not planning anything, Herbert!" Anneliese snapped and she pushed Herbert away. "There _are_ people coming for me and they _will_ be here before the week is up!" Herbert smiled knowingly and patted Anneliese on the top of her head.

"Of course they will, dear. Of course." Anneliese glared at him as he stood up and headed out the room. "Anyway, Father will be around shortly so you might want to get dressed if you don't want a repeat of last night." When he was gone, Anneliese looked down at herself. She was still in her nightgown and while she did want to avoid another episode, she was also in desperate need of a bath. Her hands and arms were still stained with dried blood and she still ached from Von Krolock's attacks. She would give almost anything just to be able to soak in a tub full of hot water. Summoning the courage, she rose from the sofa and left in search of Von Krolock.

She didn't have to go far as he was coming down the stairs-his long cape billowing out behind him-when she entered the foyer from the library. He stopped halfway down and glared at her; Anneliese swore she could see fire in his eyes. "Good evening, Your Excellency." There was a small tremble in Anneliese's voice and she mentally scolded herself for it. "I was wondering if I-"

"Have you forgotten so soon?" Von Krolock's voice boomed through the room and Anneliese flinched. "You are free to do as you please during the day. All I ask is that you be presentable before the sun goes down. Am I asking too much?"

"No, Your Excellency, but I-"

"What more must I do to earn this one bit of respect? Must I carry you to your room and dress you myself?" A smile played at the corners of Von Krolock's mouth and he raised an eyebrow as he looked Anneliese over. Anneliese's face flushed a deep shade of pink at his suggestion. She suddenly felt naked under his stare and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I just... I wanted..." Anneliese struggled to find the words she needed.

"You _want_ something. What a surprise!" Von Krolock laughed. "Please tell me what more I can give you!" Anneliese lowered her eyes to the floor.

"I need to take a bath, Your Excellency."

"A bath?" Anneliese looked up and almost screamed in surprise when she found Von Krolock was standing right in front of her. She tried to take a step back but he reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "Is that all? Of course you may have a bath." His voice was warm and soft and Anneliese was suddenly afraid of what he was planning to do. "Koukol?" Koukol, who was standing right behind the Count, grunted a response. "Koukol, go prepare a bath for our guest." The hunchback grunted a second time and made his way up the stairs. "I am sorry you had to wait so long. I really should have noticed. Your hair could use a good washing." Von Krolock released one of Anneliese's shoulders and combed his fingers through her hair. When he released the brown locks, he traced a finger over her jaw, pressing in slightly against her bruise and smiling when she flinched, then down her neck to the neckline of her nightgown. She still had her arms over her chest and when Von Krolock looked down at them his smile widened.

"And your poor arms. I would like to believe this was enough for you to learn your lesson about breaking windows but as you can see," he gestured to the boarded windows near the door, "I could not take that risk again. Does it still hurt?" Von Krolock gently took hold of one of her wrists and brought her hand toward him. Anneliese wanted to pull away but she couldn't seem to force herself to move. Releasing her other shoulder, he carefully slid his fingers over the little cuts that peppered her arm. This was the first close look Anneliese had of the vampire's hands. His fingers seemed so long and thin they were almost skeletal and the sight of them made her uneasy. What was worse was how they felt. His skin was dry and cool and the feeling of it combined with his long nails gently scratching her arm left a trail of goose bumps along her flesh.

"I'm sure a nice warm bath will help you feel much better." Von Krolock brought her wrist closer to his face and Anneliese watched in horror as he massaged the delicate spot with the tip of his tongue, moistening the dried blood on her skin. With his mouth open she could see his fangs and she silently prayed that he wouldn't bite her. She watched as he continued to slowly lap away the blood and when her wrist was completely clean he lifted his gaze to meet hers and stared at her as he swirled the taste of her blood around in his mouth with his tongue. His eyes were heavy lidded and the look he gave Anneliese made her stomach turn and she suddenly felt faint.

After all the times Hans had had his way with her, Anneliese immediately recognized the look of lust that filled the vampire's eyes and for the first time, she realized that the vampire was even more of a threat than she had originally thought him to be. With the way a mere touch of his hands-hands that looked like the hands of Death himself; she dared not think about what the rest of his body must look like-felt against her arm, she couldn't imagine... she didn't _want_ to imagine this creature on top of her and inside her. As these thoughts raced through Anneliese's mind she saw the expression on Von Krolock's face change from a look of pure arousal to one of disgust. She thought for a moment she saw something else-a touch of sadness perhaps, a flash of pain in his eyes-but she couldn't imagine Von Krolock ever experienced such emotions. He was nothing but a monster who took great pleasure in causing fear. With all the hatred within him there couldn't have been room for anything else.

"Your bath must be ready by now," he spat viciously. WIthout releasing her wrist he turned and started up the stairs, pulling her almost painfully behind him. Not another word was spoken until they reached the bathroom. He led her inside and shut the door behind them. Anneliese stood in the middle of the room waiting for Von Krolock to leave but he remained motionless, staring at her. "Go on. Take your bath. It's what you wanted or is it not up to your standards? Maybe it's not good enough for you," he snapped.

"No it's all very lovely, Your Excellency," Anneliese said quickly. "I would just like a little privacy." She offered a smile but it faded fast when Von Krolock narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Oh, you mustn't worry about me, Anneliese." He moved closer to her until he was looking down at her. "It's not as if this creature is going to force himself on top of you... or inside you." Anneliese felt as if her heart skipped a few beats and her cheeks reddened with shame.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency," Anneliese whispered. She didn't have the strength to speak any louder. "I didn't mean to think such terrible things about you." Von Krolock gave a sigh and looked away.

"No." His voice was softer now. "You are only sorry that you forgot I can read your thoughts."

"Please don't be angry with me. I truly didn't mean-" Without thinking, Anneliese reached out to Von Krolock but the moment her hand touched his arm he pulled away as if her touch burned his skin through his clothes.

"You should hurry, Anneliese. The water will get cold." Hearing Von Krolock's anger returning she did as she was told and undressed quickly while his back was still turned. She climbed into the large iron tub and sighed with relief as she sunk into the warm water. She leaned back and closed her eyes, relaxing completely as all the knots in her muscles loosened. "It looks Heavenly." Anneliese bolted upright with a cry, pulling her knees to her chest in an effort to cover herself when she found Von Krolock standing beside the tub and staring down at her. She was too embarrassed to look directly at him but out of the corner of her eye she saw him reach his hand down toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned over in an effort to keep some distance between them. "It's only soap," he said with a chuckle and Anneliese look over to see a bar of soap in his hand.

Gingerly she took it from him; she waited for him to turn his back again but instead he lowered himself to the floor and sat beside the tub. She watched as he did this and realized he had removed his cape and coat and had rolled his shirtsleeves up past his elbows. She couldn't help but notice that his forearms weren't as horrible as she had expected. They were thin and pale but they weren't the arms of a skeleton; there was a bit of muscle on them and she had no doubt they were stronger than they looked. "Shall I undress so you can admire the rest?" Anneliese buried her face in her hand.

"I do wish you would stay out of my head," she groaned.

"Oh but when I do," the Count said as he got back on his knees and positioned himself behind Anneliese, "you start thinking things you shouldn't be thinking. Things that will get you into trouble." He whispered this in Anneliese's ear and heart heart leapt into her throat.

"I don't know what you mean," she protested weakly. Von Krolock reached around her and took the soap from her and placed it on the edge of the tub. He then plunged his hands into the water behind her; when his hands touched her lower back she shivered despite the heat of the water.

"I am sorry about my cold hands," he told her; she didn't have to see his face to know he was smiling. "No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get them warm." He scooped up some water and carefully poured it over her hair; he repeated this process until her hair was completely wet before picking up the bar of soap, which he dipped into the water, purposely touching her back again and smiling when another shiver ran through her body. He rubbed the soap between his hands until he worked up a good lather then began washing her hair with his soapy fingers. Anneliese struggled to keep her eyes open but the feeling of his strong fingers massaging her scalp felt so good to her and it wasn't long before her eyes drifted shut and she leaned back against the tub, her body relaxing completely.

As Von Krolock moved his fingers in small circles through Anneliese's hair he looked down at her body which was now completely exposed to him. With his tongue he could feel his fangs slowly begin to extend as he took in the sight of her glowing, youthful skin, the curves of her breasts and the most private-her most sensitive-place on her body between her legs. "Now where was I?" He whispered; his voice was heavy with his arousal but Anneliese didn't even notice. "Ah, yes... A little bird has told me you have been planning to escape. Is this true?" The Count's words filled Anneliese with dread but as his hands continued to move through her hair, every bit of energy in her dissipated and she couldn't move. A small whimper was all she could manage. "No? Are your telling me this little bird has lied to me? Or maybe he was just mistaken..." Anneliese nodded her head weakly. "You wouldn't go back on your word. Especially since you have people coming for you; you have no reason to try and escape, isn't that right?" Anneliese nodded again and a few tears slipped down her face.

Von Krolock placed his lips closer to her ear and whispered, "That's a good girl," before placing a soft kiss on her temple. Removing his hands from her hair, he helped her sit up so he could rinse the soap from her hair. They spent the rest of Anneliese's bath in total silence. Von Krolock remained seated behind her on the floor, leaning back against the wall and resting his eyes while Anneliese washed herself. When she was finished and softly requested a towel, Von Krolock stood beside the tub and opened a large soft towel in front of him. Not having the energy left to fight, she simply stood and stepped out of the tub, allowing the Count to wrap the towel around her. A chill passed through her as the cool air touched her warm, wet skin and Anneliese was taken by surprise when Von Krolock wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close against him.

"Do you feel a little better now that you are clean?" For the first time that evening that was no hint of sarcasm or malice in his voice; Anneliese looked up at him and would have thought that he was genuinely concerned for her comfort if she only believed that the vampire had the ability to feel concern.

"Yes. Thank you." She spoke softly against his chest; he was rubbing small, gentle circles around her back and it was making her feel sleepy. They remained this way for a few minutes before Von Krolock placed a finger under her chin and gently guided her so that she was looking up at him. His eyes seemed to move slowly over her face, taking in every detail. A lock of her wet hair was stuck to her cheek and after brushing it away he allowed his fingers to trace down the line of her jaw. She flinched in anticipation, recalling the way he had touched her bruise earlier, but this time his touch was gentle, causing her no pain. When his fingers reached her chin once again, he pulled his hand away.

"Are you hungry?" Anneliese nodded; she couldn't help but notice that his voice sounded as tired as she felt. "Go on and get dressed then," he ordered gently. "I will see you downstairs." Anneliese slowly made her way back to her room, leaving Von Krolock alone in the bathroom. It was the first kind moment she had experienced with him and she wondered if maybe things were changing... that maybe if she remained respectful of him and kept her cool, he would finally relax.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Wow, I honestly never expected such wonderful reviews - thank you all so much :) This chapter is a bit short but I'll post another in just a few days. Enjoy!

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Anneliese slowly ate her dinner in silence. Everything was the same as the night before; the table was filled with food, and Von Krolock sat to her left at the head of the table with nothing but an unmarked bottle and a glass of... wine. Anneliese knew what it really was but she refused to allow herself to think of it as anything but red wine. She had hoped things would be different between them after the way he acted so caring toward her not even a full hour ago; she was hoping that they might actually be able to have a pleasant conversation with each other without a fight breaking out, but everything Anneliese said to him was met with silence from the Count. He didn't seem particularly angry, but something about the way he remained so still, just staring down at his glass, made her uneasy.

"Please Your Excellency, won't you speak to me? Even if it's just to tell me what the weather is like. I haven't been outside for two days! Please, I just find the silence deafening..."

"I enjoy the silence." Von Krolock's voice was void of any emotion.

"But Your Excellency-"

"Enough!" Von Krolock shouted and slammed a fist down on the table.

"You were so kind to me after my bath." Anneliese could feel the tears coming but she forced herself to remain strong. "I thought something had changed."

"You think something has changed?" Von Krolock laughed as he spoke. "Nothing has changed, Anneliese!" When his laughter finally died down he reached out to her, took hold of her chin and made her look at him. "Nothing ever changes," he said coldly. Anneliese smiled at him.

"Of course things change," she said. Without even thinking, she gently placed her hand upon his but he pulled away with a hiss.

"Do not touch me," he growled.

"I only-" Anneliese reached out for him but before she could touch him he pushed himself back from the table, knocking over the wine bottle and causing it to break, spilling its contents on the floor, and quickly rose to his feet.

"I said do not touch me!" Anneliese stared at him in shock; his anger had come so fast and unexpectedly and now as she watched him she could see him slowly relaxing again. "Get out. Go to your room," he said tiredly. Anneliese looked down at her half-eaten dinner.

"But I haven't finished eating," she said softly. "You may have spoiled your own dinner but I refuse to let you spoil mine." She picked her up fork but just as she tried to pick up a piece of her dinner, Von Krolock snatched the plate away from her and threw it against a wall.

"You are finished!" He snapped. "Get out of my sight!" Anneliese stood up and folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"I will not. You told me I could go where I wish and I wish to stay here." As soon as the words left her mouth Von Krolock's hand came crashing against her cheek, causing her to stumble back a few steps. She glared at him; tears stung her eyes but she refused to cry. Instead, she stepped toward him and slapped him as hard as she could. She wanted to scream at him-to tell him that she would not allow him to hurt her anymore-but before she could get a word out Von Krolock grabbed her and held her so painfully tight against his body that she could barely breathe. Her arms were pinned at her sides so she couldn't fight back but she struggled hard against him. "What... are..." she gasped "you..." Before she could utter another word, Von Krolock forced her head to one side and Anneliese screamed when she felt his fangs sink into her neck. She could feel everything: the pain of his fangs breaking into her skin, his lower teeth as they scraped against her neck, her blood as it poured from her wounds and his tongue as it worked to pick up the dripping blood. The room began to spin around her and just when she thought she was going to faint, Von Krolock released her and she fell hard to the floor, banging her head against the edge of the table as she went down.

Everything went black for a few moments when she hit the floor. Her breathing was labored and the only sound she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. She opened her eyes, blinked a few times in an effort to clear her vision. Eventually the darkness passed but her vision was blurred. Her head ached horribly and all of a sudden she became aware of a searing pain that started in her neck and ran through her arms all the way to her fingertips. "What..." She tried to speak but her voice came out as a weak croak. Lifting a trembling hand to her neck she whimpered when she touched something warm and wet. She looked down at her fingers and even though everything was still blurry, she could see red-a lot of red-and her stomach heaved.

"You bit me..." Her voice was hoarse and barely recognizable. "You..." She coughed and an agonizing pain tore through her entire body. "You bit me!" Finally her vision cleared and she could see Von Krolock's shoes in front of her. She reached out for him with her bloody hand but he kicked it away. "You bit me!" She whimpered again; her voice was beginning to clear but it still caused her pain to speak. She placed her palms flat on the floor and tried to push herself up but another bolt of hot pain went through her and she collapsed with a cry. Putting her hands over her neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding she began to sob. "You promised..." She cried weakly. "You promised you wouldn't!"

"Be grateful it was just a warning... this time." Von Krolock grumbled as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You will live." He threw a clean napkin at her and walked out of the room, leaving her alone on the floor.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese lay curled in the fetal position on her bed; her cries were silent but her body shook with each sob. The bleeding had stopped a while ago and she was surprised to find that the wounds were healing over so quickly. The pain from the bite had faded as well but she had a horrible headache; she felt sick to her stomach and her whole body felt terribly warm and she was worried she was getting sick. She prayed for sleep to come fast; it was her only escape and she needed it now more than anything. Sleep eventually took hold but that night it wasn't the sweet release she had hoped for.

Soon after she fell asleep, the bad dreams started. She was eleven again. Hans was on top of her and although she could hear people moving about in the next room, no matter how hard she screamed no one came to help her. She closed her eyes, begging for him to stop and when he did, she opened her eyes again and screamed when she saw it was no longer Hans on top of her, but the Count. He smiled down at her but instead of just two fangs, his mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth. He lowered his mouth to her neck and she screamed again but before he could bite her, she found herself standing outside.

It was dark out but as she looked around she instantly recognized where she was. She ran quickly to the edge of the forest and cried out in happiness when she saw little arms and legs moving playfully about in the basket she had left. _He's still alive! _She thought. _My little boy, he's still alive! _She ran toward the basket but came to a full stop when Von Krolock appeared out of nowhere, standing over her newborn son.

"He's beautiful, Anneliese." Von Krolock's mouth didn't move but his voice swirled around her as if being carried by the wind. "How could you just leave him here to die like this?" She watched in horror as the vampire picked up her son and cradled him in his arms. She screamed at him to let him go, begged him not to hurt her baby. She tried to run to him to take her son back but she couldn't force herself to move no matter how hard she tried. She watched helplessly as Von Krolock held the baby up before him. He opened his mouth wide-the same mouth filled with razors-brought the baby's neck close and...

Anneliese awoke with a scream, her body drenched with sweat. She bolted upright as she cried out for her son just before realizing it had all been a bad dream. Laying back down, she cried as the memory of what she had seen haunted her until she finally fell back to sleep.

-.-.-.-.-

Von Krolock stood outside of Anneliese's door as she slept. He stood motionless in the dark hallway, his hard stare focused on her closed door as if he were looking right through it. His breathing was heavy but slow and his pupils were so dilated that his blue eyes looked like two black voids. He remained this way for a while listening to the sounds of Anneliese's soft moans come from behind the door. Although his eyes were open, he saw nothing of what was in front of him. Instead he saw images of a fat, dirty farmer, a young child, a baby so new his skin still had a pink glow to it. It wasn't until Anneliese screamed that Von Krolock finally moved; his mouth spreading into a wicked grin.


	7. Chapter 7

Anneliese spent the next day wandering around the castle and avoiding Koukol, just wanting to be left alone. Her neck felt tender from Von Krolock's bite and she couldn't get the images from her nightmare out of her head, especially those of her son. Aside from the books in the library there seemed to be nothing else in the castle to keep her occupied. During her exploration she came to a window in which some of the stained glass pieces were that of clear glass. There was a pattern etched into it to make it look as though it was frosted over so she couldn't actually see through it, but it allowed the sunlight through and she had lost track of just how long she had stood in front of it, allowing the rays of light to warm her face. She remained this way until she heard shuffling footsteps behind her.

"Go away Koukol," she sighed. "I'm not hungry. Just leave me alone." She listened as his footsteps retreated and when she was sure he was gone, she left her little patch of sunlight and headed for the library. She wasn't in the mood to read but the musty smell of the old books comforted her and there was a wonderfully luxurious sofa that she would sink into when she lied down on it. It was just as she making herself comfortable upon this sofa that she caught sight of one of the boarded windows and idea struck her. _Maybe I can pry the nails out,_ she thought and she walked over to one of the windows to take a closer look.

The boards were sanded smooth and at least an inch thick. At first she wondered if she would be able to break through the boards. If they had been window shutters, she felt she could have done so with any heavy object, but these boards were too solid. Only an axe would work here and even if she managed to find one, it would certainly bring attention to herself. She gave one of the boards a tug only to find they were nailed tightly against the window frame. She examined each window closely, looking to see if maybe whoever had done the job had grown lazy and failed to hammer some nails in completely. She found nothing of the sort but she did find one board that wasn't flush with the frame. There was a sliver of a gap in between the board and the window frame. It was too narrow for her fingers to fit through but she thought if she could find something long and thin, she could slide it through and try to wedge it open and pull it away from the frame.

She looked around the room, rummaging through cabinets and drawers. She found rulers, letter openers and other supplies that would fit, but nothing was strong enough. She was about to go search another room when she saw a set of tools hanging near the fireplace. First she tried the poker but it was just too thick to fit through the gap. She tried the coal shovel and when the edge slipped easily through her heart sped up a bit with the prospect of having found a way out. She pushed the shovel in as far as it would go then, putting a foot on the wall in front of her to brace herself, she pulled as hard as she could on the handle. She heard a small crack but when she checked to see the damage she frowned when she saw she had made absolutely no progress. Jamming the shovel back through the gap, she tried again, pulling so hard her face turned red from the effort. She pulled and pulled until the shovel slipped from her sweaty hands and fell to the floor. She looked at the board and cursed; all she had succeeded in doing was putting two tiny grooves in the wood from the sharp raised sides of the shovel.

Anneliese returned the coal shovel to it's place near the fireplace and left the library in search of another tool. A few minutes later she was back in front of the window, sliding a knife she grabbed from the kitchen into the gap. There had been some sturdy butchers' knives hanging there but they were too large for her to hide within her dress and if Koukol had seen her carrying one he would have known she was up to something. There were plenty of dinner knives but she knew they would never hold up so she continued searching through the drawers until she came across a long, sharp knife. The blade was thicker than the dinner knives and the handle was made from a heavy piece of wood. She knew it would fit through the crack and she hoped it would be strong enough to at least pry the board up enough for her fingers to fit. If she could get her fingers through, it would take some work but she would get herself out; her life depended on it.

The knife slid easily through the gap and after saying a quick prayer, she closed her eyes and pulled hard against it. As she pulled, she felt something slowly give. Excitement rose within her and she continued to pull harder and harder until the knife slid out from the gap and she tumbled back onto the floor. She eagerly looked at the window and a knot formed in her stomach; it was still sealed tight. She looked down at the knife and wanted to scream when she saw that the blade was bent at nearly a forty-five degree angle. She wanted to scream and curse and break everything within reach, she was so angry, but she refused to allow herself to break like that. It was only her third day at the castle; she still had four days left and she was certain she could find a way out by then. She calmed herself down and she was about to return to her search when she heard the little clock on the mantle chime. It was getting late. She hadn't realized how much time she had wasted trying to pry the board from the window and now the sun would be down soon and Von Krolock would be awake. There wasn't enough time; she would have to try again in the morning. Getting up from the floor, she quickly replaced the knife in the drawer she had found it in and went to her room to freshen up.

-.-.-.-.-

"Good evening!" Herbert flung Anneliese's door open and strutted in, seemingly uncaring of the fact she was only half dressed.

"Herbert!" She cried as she pulled her dress up to cover herself. "Don't you ever knock?"

"Oh don't be such a prude," Herbert scoffed. He placed himself behind Anneliese and helped her button up the back of her dress. "I mean no offense but really, you aren't my type." Anneliese blushed at the suggestion but she couldn't stifle a giggle. When Herbert was through with the buttons, he moved to stand in front of Anneliese and began tugging at the dress, straightening it out and adjusting the various bows that adorned it.

"Please, you're making it worse!" Anneliese swatted his hands away but he simply turned his attention to her hair.

"You should curl it," he suggested. "Pin it up off your neck and let some of the curls hang down." He piled her hair on top of her head and arranged the loose strands around her face.

"Ouch! Stop it, you're pulling my hair!" She continued to slap his hands gently as she tried to pull away from him. "You treat me like I'm some doll you can play dress up with!" She tried to be angry with him but it never lasted as she knew he meant no harm.

"Yes! A life sized living doll!" Herbert exclaimed with a laugh. "Maybe Father will let me keep you after he bites you when this silly little bet is over," he teased. Anneliese's face grew hot and she frowned.

"My friends will be here before then," she reminded him.

"Let's be honest Anneliese," Herbert sighed as he fussed over a broach he had fastened to her dress. "No one is coming for you. No one even knows you are here, isn't that right?" Anneliese focused her eyes on Herbert's hands as she struggled to keep from crying.

"No, you are wrong. Someone will be here." Anneliese didn't know why she kept saying it. If Von Krolock could read her mind she was sure Herbert could as well. The only person she had to convince was herself and she was failing. "Even if no one does come for me, I'm sure your father would much rather kill me than change me. He hates me so much."

"Father doesn't _hate_ anyone." Herbert lifted Anneliese's head so that she was looking straight ahead and he began combing her hair.

"Well if he likes me he certainly has a funny way of showing it," Anneliese replied with a forced laugh.

"Father doesn't hate anyone, but he doesn't like anyone either." Herbert formed a part in the middle of her hair and swept each side back, pinning the hair in place with little ivory combs. "We're vampires, Anneliese. We have little use for feelings," he explained. "Especially for mortals. If we concerned ourself with feelings for people imagine how miserable we would all be! Besides, we'd find ourselves living on rats and other animals and honestly, they don't taste very good." Herbert crinkled his nose at the thought and Anneliese giggled despite herself. "Father... Well... Father is just a grumpy old man. His bark is worse than his bite. Well..." He fingered the healing wounds on Anneliese's neck. "Sometimes. He's so good at charming his victims that most of the time they simply allow him to bite them. It's rare that he becomes so violent; you just push him too far. There!" He turned Anneliese around so she could see the finished result of her hair in the mirror. "Now let's go. I have something to show you!"

-.-.-.-.-

Herbert opened a door and led Anneliese into a courtyard that was fully lit by the moon. The side they entered through was a small garden that contained a few trees and a handful of benches each flanked by potted flowers. In the middle stood a tall marble fountain of small dragons intertwined with one another to shape a tall column; water was trickling softly out of the mouth of each dragon. The walls of the castle that surrounded the courtyard were covered in ivy. Anneliese closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the warm night air.

"It's so beautiful out here," she sighed.

"Father suggested I bring you here." Herbert took Anneliese's hand and led her to one of the benches where they sat.

"He did?" Anneliese remembered having mentioned to Von Krolock how she hadn't been outside in a few days but she found it hard to believe that not only had he actually been listening to her, but that he was allowing her this chance.

"You're safe here with me right now, but you mustn't come here alone at night," Herbert warned. "You can sit out here all day if you please, but it's important that you are inside again before the sun goes down." Anneliese looked at him questioningly and Herbert motioned behind them with his head. She turned to see that the other half of the courtyard was a cemetery. "Father warned them all not to touch you but vampires aren't known to follow rules." Herbert laughed but Anneliese found nothing funny about it.

"Who is buried there?" She asked him.

"Mostly family. But there are also a few people there that we changed and chose to keep here. I'm sure Father will allow you to stay here with us. There are plenty of plots left. Although... He certainly wouldn't allow you to stay in the crypt but we have some rooms where we've completely sealed the windows. I might be able to convince him to allow you to stay in one of those." Anneliese grew pale at the thought.

"What is it like?"

"What is what like?

"Becoming a vampire." Herbert leaned back in the bench and thought for a bit before answering.

"It hurts," he finally told her.

"The bite?"

"Well, yes. The bites do hurt-"

"Bites?" Anneliese gasped. "It happens more than once?"

"It's a process," he explained. "The first bite releases the poison but it's weak and if you aren't bitten again, it just passes through. That's why nothing happened to you after Father bit you. The vampire has to feed on you at least three times within the first day. The bites themselves really aren't that terrible. It's when the poison sets in."

"What happens then?" Anneliese wasn't sure she really wanted to know, but at the same time she couldn't help but ask.

"It burns. You are left feeling as though someone has taken a flame to your insides. It's the poison in your blood going through your veins and infecting your organs."

"How long does it last?"

"Three days, maybe? Four at the most," Herbert shrugged. "Then the vampire that has bitten you gives you a bit of their own blood to drink-"

"Oh, how ghastly!" Anneliese gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"You say that now but just wait until you get a taste," Herbert said with a wink. "Besides, it's the only thing that will stop the pain of the poison. You either drink the vampire's blood or you die a slow, agonizing death." They grew silent for a short while as Anneliese thought about everything Herbert had said. It sounded absolutely horrible and she was wondering if maybe it would be best if Von Krolock just killed her instead of changing her.

"Why aren't you ever around when your father is?" She finally asked, wanting to avoid the topic of death as much as she could. "At dinner, for instance. Dinners with him have been so awful. You are a breath of fresh air after being with him and it would be so much nicer if you would join us."

"I can't be bothered to spend much time with Father." Herbert wrinkled his nose and brushed off a spider that had crawled onto his leg. "He's such a bore. Besides when he's with you during your dinners, he's not actually having his own meal then. We never sit around a table and dine together like people do."

"Why does he sit with me then? Just to make me miserable I suppose," Anneliese sighed.

"I honestly don't know why he sits with you. No offense..." Herbert offered a smile and Anneliese rolled her eyes. "The blood we bottle and save doesn't really taste all that good. It's nothing like fresh blood, anyway." Anneliese cringed at the thought. "We save it for emergencies. I don't know why he chooses to sit with you, but he does and when you are done he leaves to find his own... meal."

"Disgusting," Anneliese muttered.

"That's your opinion," Herbert huffed and Anneliese wondered if she really had offended him. "I happen to think everything your mortals eat-especially those awful sweet little pastries-is disgusting."

"You don't eat regular food?"

"We _can't _eat regular food. It makes us terribly sick."

"Would you..." Anneliese began softly. "Would you sit with us tonight?" Herbert looked at her, his brow furrowed. "Even just for a little bit?"

"Why do you want me to be there so much?" Anneliese shrugged.

"I feel more at ease with you around," she admitted to him. "You are so nice to me and even though I know it doesn't mean you actually like me, I enjoy being around you."

"And you are hoping that if I am around, maybe Father will behave?" Herbert added, making Anneliese smile a little.

"That would be nice too," she replied softly and Herbert chuckled.

"We shall see. Maybe I can stop by for a little while. But now we really must be going inside." They both walked through the garden back toward the castle and Anneliese took one last look behind her at the cemetery before she went inside, wondering to herself just how dangerous the other vampires really were.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you once again for the lovely reviews! I really, really appreciate them all. Also, I'm really glad to see some of you are enjoying my portrayal of Krolock. I must say I had a lot of fun writing him this way.

Wannabe-Vampirin: I won't give any details but you'll be happy to know you'll be seeing a few different sides of Krolock as the story progresses. Hopefully you won't be disappointed :)

* * *

A few hours later Anneliese stepped into the dining room to find Von Krolock sitting by himself, her place setting beside him as usual. She had hoped Herbert would be there as well and her heart sunk to see he wasn't. Keeping her eyes glued to the floor, she made her way over to her seat. She could hear Von Krolock as he stood to greet her but she refused to look at him. Without a word she sat down.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Von Krolock asked as he, too, sat down.

"Hello, Your Excellency." Her voice plainly revealed her fear but she was past caring. She was a prideful girl and she knew Herbert had been right; her need to prove herself was pushing Von Krolock too far. She decided if she had to go as far as washing his feet and drying them with her own hair to keep the peace between them, she would do so.

"How are you feeling this evening?" Anneliese watched his hands as he began to serve her food. Normally it was Koukol who would serve her and she thought it was strange that Von Krolock was doing it now.

"Where is Koukol?"

"Koukol is busy enough trying to clean the blood from my carpet. I must say with all the trouble you have caused since you've been with us, I don't think Koukol is very fond of you." Anneliese blushed and when Von Krolock chuckled, she blushed even harder. Von Krolock stood up in order to carve a slice of ham and when Anneliese saw the polished box he was about to open, she held her breath in anticipation. It was the box she had taken the carving knife out of to pry open the window. She was full of panic that he would realize what she had done, but for some reason she couldn't help but watch to see his reaction.

He opened the box and with the way it was positioned, she couldn't see the cutlery inside from where she sat. _Maybe Koukol found the knife and just threw it away, _she told herself but when she saw Von Krolock's brow furrow-in confusion or anger, she couldn't tell-she knew he had found it. He brought the bent knife up before him and stared at it. Anneliese knew then that his expression was pure confusion; he was staring at the knife as if it had just sprouted legs and danced for him. She bit her lip in an effort to stifle a laugh that was building up inside her but a little snort escaped. She froze when Von Krolock looked at her; for a brief moment his face softened and one corner of his mouth twitched into half a smile but it was short lived. He frowned and the angry look Anneliese knew all too well spread across his face.

"Koukol!" He shouted. Soon after Koukol came shuffling into the dining room and Von Krolock thrust the bent knife in his direction. "How do you explain this?" Koukol took the knife and tried to bend the blade back into place but all he managed to do was break it completely. Von Krolock rested his face in one large hand and sighed. "That will be all Koukol." Koukol put the broken knife pieces into Von Krolock's hands and shuffled out of the room. The Count placed the pieces on the table in front of Anneliese then pulled out another knife from the box and began to carve the ham. "I could easily get inside your head," he spoke as he carved the ham and placed it onto Anneliese's plate, "and find out if you had something to do with this broken knife."

Anneliese suddenly felt sick to her stomach. He placed the knife and fork down and sat down. She tried not to look at him but she could feel his stare and she knew he wasn't going to continue until she did. When she looked at him he smiled gently. "But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt that you learned your lesson last night." Von Krolock reached over and caressed the healing bite marks on her neck. "How are you feeling this evening? Is there much pain left?" Anneliese shook her head and her eyes drifted shut as Von Krolock's fingers brushed up along the side of her face to carefully touch the bruise from where she had hit the table. "How is your head? Does it hurt?" Anneliese opened her eyes and stared into Von Krolock's. Normally his emotions were so strong they could be clearly seen in his eyes but now they were unreadable.

"It looks as though I am interrupting something!" Von Krolock pulled his hand away quickly, the loss of his touch leaving Anneliese feeling a bit lightheaded. "Should I come back later?" Anneliese looked at Herbert who was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed.

"What are you doing here?" The irritation in Von Krolock's voice was unmistakable.

"I figured I would join you for dinner but it looks as though I would just be in the way."

"Since when do you care to join me for anything?" Anneliese looked at Von Krolock and suddenly wondered if vampires were able to get headaches as he looked like he was suffering from one at that moment.

"Actually I came here for Anneliese." Herbert strutted into the room, grimacing at the smell of the food. Von Krolock looked at Anneliese then back at his son.

"Anneliese... Why?" Herbert an Anneliese exchanged a quick glance and Herbert smiled.

"I like her," he said. "She's nice. She's not a silly child like Sarah was."

"I told you," Von Krolock spoke slowly, stressing each word, "never to mention that name in my presence ever again."

"I tried to warn you about them." Anneliese watched as Von Krolock tensed his hands, dragging his fingernails along the tabletop so hard they left deep scratches in the wood. She was hoping to get through one night without an outburst and she wished Herbert would just leave. "I told you that old man would get the best of you, but you didn't listen."

"Enough!" Von Krolock's fist hit the table so hard Anneliese's glass of wine tipped over. "Get out before..." He was halfway out of his seat when he felt a hand gently squeeze his forearm. He looked down to find Anneliese holding his arm and looking up at him with pleading eyes. His first instinct was to push her away but he fought the urge to do so when he saw that she was trembling.

"Not tonight, Your Excellency. Please..." She whispered. Von Krolock slowly sunk back into his chair, never taking his eyes off of her hand. When she realized he was staring, she quickly pulled it away. "I'm sorry, Your Excellency. I didn't mean to tou-"

"No..." Von Krolock replied softly. He continued to stare at his arm where Anneliese had just touched him. "No, you're right. I think we've all had enough. Herbert?" He pulled his eyes away from his arm and looked at his son. "Go on now. You aren't needed here." Herbert shrugged and left the room. "It's over now, finish your dinner." Anneliese heard a tremble in Von Krolock's voice but she didn't have the courage to look at him. She did as she was told and went back to eating her dinner. They sat in silence for a while before Von Krolock rose to his feet. "Have a good night, Anneliese," he said quietly, then he left the dining room, leaving Anneliese to finish her dinner alone.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese tossed and turned restlessly in her bed. She was tired but thoughts of the Count were keeping her awake. She had never met anyone so unbelievably frustrating and unpredictable in her life. She thought about the things Herbert had said to her in the courtyard earlier that night and she wondered if he was only speaking from his own experience. Maybe Herbert felt little emotion for anyone or anything, but his father was filled with it. She was certain of his anger and though a lot of it was directed at her she knew it was there long before she ever showed up. Every now and then she saw flickers of other emotions; not just in his eyes which were very expressive, but also in the way he carried himself and the way he would touch her. The changes were always brief-too brief for her to be fully sure of the reason-and they were always replaced with such rage. The rage was always directed at her-except for tonight but with a few hours left of darkness, she wasn't sure if she was still safe from his wrath-but she couldn't help but wonder if he was angry with her for being witness to this dropping of his defenses, or if he was really angry with himself for allowing it to happen in the first place.

Anneliese tried desperately to fall asleep but as her mind continued to race with these thoughts, she decided to go for a walk. At first she considered sitting out in the courtyard but when she recalled Herbert's warning, she thought it best to just roam through the castle until she felt she would be able to sleep. She walked slowly through the halls carrying a candle to light her way, enjoying the coolness of the floor against her bare feet, and admired the array of portraits that lined the walls. The little gold plaques beneath each frame were engraved with the name Von Krolock. None were dated, however, and Anneliese wondered just how far back in the Count's family they went. Then she wondered if they had all been vampires as well and how many of them were buried out in the courtyard. The thought made her shiver and she continued, placing her focus on the sculptures and other works of art that were being displayed.

The castle seemed unusually quiet this night. She was in her room by this time the past two nights but always heard plenty of sounds through the door to know there were many people _(vampires) _moving about. Everything was quiet now-_too_ quiet-and she wondered where everyone was. Lost in her thoughts, Anneliese roamed around until she found herself at the end of a hallway and she realized she had to turn back to return to the staircase. She was almost there when she walked past an open door.

"Anneliese!" A soft, unrecognizable voice giggled. Anneliese stopped and peered into the room but it was so dark she could only make out vague shapes of the furniture.

Anneliese stuck her head in the room and called out, "Hello?"

"Anneliee-eeese!" The voice sung her name and she smiled.

"Herbert?" She stepped into the room but the candle she held didn't offer enough light to fill the large room so she looked around for a gas lamp. "Is that you?" When she found a lamp she lit it and turned to see that no one else was there with her. "Herbert?" She heard a giggle and at the same time a curtain fluttered gently. "I see you behind the curtain, Herbert," she said with a sigh. She walked over to the curtain and pulled it to the side. "You're not very good at..." There was no one behind the curtain.

"Anneliesssssse!" The voice was directly behind her now and when Anneliese spun around she screamed. Before her stood a vampire, though it looked nothing like the Count, his son, or even the figures she had seen in the library two nights ago. This one barely even looked human; it was in such a state of decay she couldn't even tell if it had been a man or a woman. Not even its clothes were enough of a hint as they were so dirty and torn it was impossible to tell what they had once been. Its flesh was a chalky white and in some places it hung limply from its bones like shreds of cloth. There was no muscle or blood showing but instead it seemed as dry as dust. "Annelieeeeese!" The vampire shrieked and cackled and Anneliese gagged at the foul odor of its breath.

She tried to run past the monster; it moved so slowly and with barely any muscle to it she thought there was no way it could overpower her but she was wrong. Before she even took a second step, the vampire grabbed her with bony hands and pushed her back against the wall.

"No, no! Let go of me!" She kicked and struggled against the vampire's grip trying to push herself away from the wall. It dug its sharp fingers into her arms and she screamed in pain.

"Shhhhhh Anneliessssse," the vampire hissed. It was then that she noticed that half the vampires face had rotted away; its eyes were yellow and droopy, looking as if they were on the verge of falling out of its skull and there was no nose, no lips, not even a tongue. She didn't know how it was able to speak, but it repeated her name, only its jaw moving as it spoke. She clawed at the vampire's arms-the only part of it she could reach with the way it was holding her-but as she scratched off clumps of its skin the vampire simply held her even tighter.

"Someone help me!" She screamed as loudly as she could. "Koukol! Herbert! Help me please!" The vampire opened its mouth wide and leaned in toward her neck. Anneliese closed her eyes waiting to be bitten but suddenly there was an agonizing shriek and she was released. At that moment her legs completely gave out on her and she slid to the floor. When she looked up she saw the vampire dangling in the air, its limbs twitching violently. Behind it stood Von Krolock and when the vampire finally went still he allowed it to drop on the floor where it landed with a sickening thud, a fireplace poker sticking out of its back.

Anneliese stared at the unmoving creature, unable to speak. She didn't even notice Von Krolock moved until she felt his hands on her arms as he checked her wounds. "They might scar a little, but they'll hea-" Anneliese flung herself toward the Count and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest. "Oh God.." Her breath hitched with a sob. "Thank you thank you thank you..." Von Krolock's entire body tensed. There was a look of disgust on his face and he held his hands out to the sides to avoid touching her but as she sat there holding him, the lines in his brow disappeared and his grimace was replaced with a small frown.

"I..." For the first time he could remember, Von Krolock was at a loss for words. He placed a hand softly on her head to stroke her hair and when he touched her damp cheek Anneliese caressed the back of his hand with her fingers and turned her head to place a kiss on his palm. Von Krolock blinked hard and took a deep breath. "This doesn't change anything," he said sharply; Anneliese pulled away just enough to look up at him. "I didn't do this for you," he snapped. "I told them all not to touch you. You belong to me. She disobeyed me and I had to punish her." The Count gave Anneliese a hard shove, forcing her to release him and he stood up and growled, "There are just four days left, Anneliese." With that, he turned and stormed out of the room leaving Anneliese alone with the dead vampire.


	9. Chapter 9

Anneliese sat at the bottom of the stairs and stared at the front door as if willing it to unlock and open on its own. There was nothing for her to do other than sit there and even if there had been, she was too tired to do it. She hadn't slept at all that night after the vampire had attacked her; she was too afraid another one would come into her room. She had asked Koukol for a key so she could lock herself in the room but he had refused. The only key he had was a skeleton key, which would have not only locked her bedroom door, but would also have unlocked the front door.

She had returned to her room and as she was dressing for bed she was still thinking about the key when she looked down at the hairpins on the table. She had never picked a lock before but she thought now was as good a time as any. She figured if she could manage to lock her bedroom door then in the afternoon when Koukol was gone, she should be able to unlock one of the doors that led outside. The thought had given her hope but an hour and a pile of hairpins later she was back at square one. Now as she sat on the stairs in the early evening after having slept most of the day away, she couldn't help but wish that the vampire had killed her.

The sun eventually set and Anneliese was still sitting on the stair resting her head on her knees. She heard footsteps all around her; she knew they belonged to the vampires that came from the cemetery but she paid no attention to any of them. After a while she heard a grunt and felt something poke her; Koukol's way of letting her know it was time for dinner. She sat up and cringed at the knots in the muscles of her back. She couldn't believe she had fallen asleep sitting there and that no one had the decency to wake her.

"Decency," she scoffed under her breath as she trudged toward the dining room. "There's no such thing as a _decent _vampire." After the events of the previous night she wondered what dinner with Von Krolock would be like but when she reached the dining room she was surprised to find it empty. Her usual place was set but neither Von Krolock, his goblet nor the familiar wine bottle were there. She was relieved but at the same time she couldn't deny the twinge of disappointment she felt. She ate her dinner alone that evening; every time she heard a noise near one of the doors she had half expected Von Krolock to come in, but he never did.

-.-.-.-.-

Just as Anneliese was about to return to her room after dinner, Herbert came strolling out of the door that led to to the crypt. "Where is your father?" She asked.

"In his room. No, not in the crypt," Herbert said when she began to walk to the door he had just come from. "He is in the master bedroom. Why? Are you going to see him?"

"I was just wondering where he was."

"Oh really?" Herbert grinned. "Well, that's where he is." He turned to leave but Anneliese grabbed his arm.

"Where... is the master bedroom?"

"Because you're _just wondering_ where it is?" Herbert folded his arms across his chest, cocked his head to one side and smiled. "Is there something going on between you and my father?"

"Like what?" Herbert chuckled at her naivety.

"Have you two become... friendly?"

"Herbert, your father is the last person I would ever become friends with and you know that. Besides, friendship involves all sorts of emotions that you yourself said vampires do not possess."

"Who is talking about friendship? Anyway, that isn't quite what I said. You should learn to listen better my little Anneliese!" Herbert playfully poked the tip of her nose and she swatted his hand away. "It's not as if we are all a bunch of emotionless voids stalking the earth. We have emotions it's just that many of them become absolutely no use to us so we sort of... set them aside. Certain feelings we have just as strongly as you humans do, if not even stronger. And no," he added quickly when he saw the look on her face, "I don't mean anger."

"Then what?"

"We..." Herbert paused for a moment. "...want things."

"What do you want?" Herbert repressed a laugh; this was too easy.

"Every vampire is different. Personally what I want is something tall and firm with a bit of muscle and a deep voice but Father is more fond of softness. Something curvy and pliable... and soft." Anneliese became uncomfortably warm when she realized what Herbert meant and she quickly dropped her eyes to the floor.

"I am not sleeping with your father!"

"Hmm. Maybe you should. Maybe that's the problem." Anneliese lifted her head and glared at him. "It might calm him down a bit. I can't even remember the last time he-"

"I really don't need to hear this!" Anneliese covered her ears and turned to walk away.

"It's on the top floor," Herbert called out to her. "Go to your right. You can't miss it."

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese stood in the open doorway of the Count's bedroom and watched him silently. He was seated in a leather wing-back chair in front of a large fireplace and even though it was the middle of summer and it seemed as though all the windows in the room had been sealed over, he had a fire going. The orange glow of the light made his skin look even paler.

"It's really impolite to stare." Anneliese started at the sound of Von Krolock's voice.

"May I sit, Your Excellency?" Von Krolock waved his hand toward a nearby chair and she sat. She waited to see if he would speak first and when she didn't she commented on how hot it was in his room.

"Is it? I really hadn't noticed." Anneliese couldn't help but notice how tired he sounded.

"Yes, it's stifling in here. And here you sit fully dressed, even with your cape on. It doesn't bother you?"

"I'm cold, Anneliese," he sighed. "I'm always cold."

"What is it that makes vampires so cold?" Von Krolock cast a side glance at Anneliese and she could plainly see he was growing irritated.

"We're dead." When Anneliese failed to react the Count sighed again and and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "Your heart stops beating when you become a vampire. All of your organs shut down," he explained solemnly. "There is no energy left, no heat... no life." Unsure of how to respond to this, Anneliese remained quiet and for a short while, the only sound was that of the crackling of the fire.

"Does a vampire's blood really taste better than human blood?" Von Krolock laughed loudly, startling Anneliese.

"Where did you hear this?"

"Herbert told me last night. He told me about the whole process. Is it really true?"

"Yes," he replied. After a brief pause he asked, "Why?"

"If it tastes better then why do you feed on humans? Why don't you just feed on each other since it doesn't kill you?"

"Every time we bite someone it increases our kind. If we only fed on each other we would all eventually be killed off."

"Killed? How?" Von Krolock looked at Anneliese and she immediately regretted asking. "Oh... Do you ever kill people? I mean, when you bite someone do they always change into a vampire?" Von Krolock stretched his legs out before him and lifted his gaze up to the ceiling as he searched for an explanation.

"For the most part yes, we always change them. That is unless we go to far."

"What do you mean?" Anneliese watched Von Krolock intently as they spoke.

"Sometimes we just... can't control ourselves," he said, staring back into the fire again. "There are times we are forced to wait a long time from one victim to the next and we get... carried away. Then there are times when we feel threatened; we bite out of anger and-"

"You mean you could have killed me?" Anneliese gasped. Von Krolock didn't respond. "When you bit me, you could have ki-"

"I told you it was just a warning," he said calmly but his fingers gripped into the arms of his chair.

"That was no warning! I felt like I was dying!" Anneliese was on the edge of her seat now and it took everything in her to lean over and punch him.

"That is only because you've never felt anything like it before. Like I have said, it was just a warning."

"But you could have gone too far! You just said so yourself!"

"Settle down, Anneliese. I didn't go too far and you are alive. It was _just _ a warning bite."

"I will not settle down! You should not have even done it if you knew there was a chance you could have lost control and killed me!"

"But I didn't, now enough of this!" Von Krolock took a long, deep breath and rubbed his eyes.

"And what if you had?" Anneliese asked, lowering her voice. "What if you had lost control and killed me? You wouldn't have even cared, would you?" She waited for a response but none ever came. He simply continued to stare into the fire, the expression on his face stoic and unchanging. "Why are you doing this to me?" She whispered. Von Krolock shut his eyes and lowered his head.

"Doing what?"

"You've been so cruel to me. I don't care what Herbert said." Von Krolock looked up at the sound of his son's name and shot Anneliese a glare. "I believe that you-"

"What did Herbert say?"

"-_do _have all the same emotions I have, you just refuse to let any of them show. At least none of the kind ones. You've been so mean and miserable," Von Krolock tightened his grip on the arms of the chairs, digging his nails into the leather, "but then you have these brief moments where you are so kind and gentle so I know you have it in you!"

"I came here for peace and quiet!" Von Krolock shouted. Now he too was on the edge of his seat. "Either shut your mouth or get out!"

"Let me go," Anneliese demanded. The Count leaned back in his chair again.

"No."

"Then just kill me and get it over with." Anneliese felt numb as she forced the words out.

"But if I kill you now when your friends finally arrive they won't be too pleased to know they've come all this way for nothing," Von Krolock chuckled.

"No one is coming for me." A tear slipped from Anneliese's eye and she quickly brushed it away. "I never told anyone I was coming here and even if I had, no one would care enough to bother to come looking for me. No one is coming and I am scared. _Very _scared. I am scared of your anger... your rage. I am scared of what you are planning to do to me. There you have it. Everything you've wanted to hear. I've said it. Kill me... change me. I don't care. Just do it. I can't stand it anymore." Anneliese bit her lip and took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she waited for his response. She watched him as he seemed to think about her offer. The wait was excruciating for her and she knew he was doing it purposely.

"No, I don't believe I will," he finally said. "You struck a bargain with me and the least I can do is show I am a man of my word. There are three more days left to our deal and nothing will happen to you until the fourth. Now please, get out of my room. You have long since worn out your welcome."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks for the latest review! So sorry about the delay in the update; I haven't had a chance to sit down and do it but here it is and it's one of my favorite parts of the entire story - I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I warn you though, it's one of the reasons why I've chosen to give this story an M rating as it's rather violent.

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Anneliese spent the entire next day outside in the courtyard, alternating between laying on the grass and enjoying the warmth of the sun and reading a book on a bench in the shade of a tree. It was the first time she had been outside in the sun since she arrived at the castle and she hadn't realized just how much she needed this chance, Not just for the health benefits of the sun and fresh air, but the benefit it had on her state of mind. It gave her an escape; it gave her a few hours to pretend that she was free and that life as she knew it wasn't going to be taken from her in a few short days. She was allowed this fantasy as long as she kept her back to the cemetery.

She would have loved to have stayed outside until dinner time-or perhaps even have her dinner outside as she had done with breakfast and lunch; after their conversation the previous night she highly doubted Von Krolock would be joining her again-but she hadn't forgotten Herbert's warning. Just before the sun began to set, she hurried back inside the castle and after washing up a little, she made herself comfortable in the library and waited for the other inhabitants of the castle to rise.

It was at this point in her days that she really longed for someone to talk with. The only person she had contact with during daylight hours was Koukol and he only seemed to talk when it was absolutely necessary. She wouldn't see Von Krolock any earlier than dinner and even then her conversations with him were never pleasant. There were always the other vampires that seemed to just wander around but she was too afraid of them even though there had only been the one that had ever tried to hurt her. She always did her best to keep her distance from them. It seemed Herbert was the only one who was willing to tolerate talking with her. He was always nice about it but she could tell he would rather be somewhere else. She didn't take it personally though; he just seemed to always have somewhere else to be.

After having spent many hours outside and now sitting in the warm library, Anneliese's eyes drifted shut as she began to doze but she was awoken when she felt someone's fingers in her hair. She opened her eyes and let out a small cry when she saw a female vampire sitting right next to her on the sofa. She would have screamed but it quickly became apparent that the vampire wasn't a threat. She didn't seem at all interested in biting Anneliese; instead she seemed to be fascinated by her as she gently combed her thin fingers through Anneliese's hair.

Afraid any sound or movement might startle the vampire, Anneliese remained as still as she could and allowed the vampire to continue to touch her, taking in her appearance as she did so. She never imagined vampires existed in such various stages of decay. The Count and his son-while looking as if to be underweight and severely anemic-looked relatively normal... as normal as a dead person can look, that is. The vampire that had attacked her looked as though it had been killed and left outside for a day or two to allow birds and wild animals to feed upon it. The vampire that now sat beside her clearly looked dead; small bits of her skin were flaking off, one side of her nose as well as an ear were missing and clumps of her hair were gone, but there was no question she had once been a beautiful woman.

The vampire traced a finger over Anneliese's face, down her neck and over the curve of her shoulder before looking down to admire her dress. She fingered the smooth satin and expensive lace for a short while then when her focus move to her own ragged and rotting dress, Anneliese had to swallow a lump that had formed in her throat. There was an armoire full of gowns in her room that she was being forced to wear and while Von Krolock and Herbert strutted around in their expensive clothing, this woman-and all the others that came from the cemetery-had nothing but the clothes they had been wearing for so long. Maybe none of the others cared, but Anneliese could tell this woman did and it didn't seem fair to her.

"Breda." Both Anneliese and the vampire looked to find Von Krolock standing in the door. "Go on, Breda. Leave her be." He spoke to her in such a gentle way that Anneliese wondered what her relationship to him was. Breda took one last look at Anneliese then hurried away, leaving Anneliese and Von Krolock alone.

"Who is she to you?"

"No one." Von Krolock took Anneliese by the arm, pulled her to her feet and led her out of the library. "You must go to your room until Koukol comes for you."

"Why?" Anneliese stumbled a bit as she tried to keep up with Von Krolock's quick pace.

"No questions, just go." He pushed her in the direction of the stairs. Anneliese took the first two then turned around to speak.

"Go!" He shouted. She ran up the stairs but when she turned the corner, instead of going to her room she remained in the hall in an effort to find out what was going on. She waited, peeking around the corner and down the stairs, for a few minutes but absolutely nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Maybe His Excellency is just having another one of his tantrums," she whispered to herself, unable to help but smile. She was about to go to her room when the front door swung open and Koukol entered, followed by a rather large man. Koukol instructed him to wait and when Koukol was gone, Anneliese hurried down the stairs but before she even made it halfway down, Von Krolock entered the room. She dashed back up to the landing and watched as Von Krolock greeted their new guest.

"I... looking. For job." The man said a little more but it was mostly in French. All she could get from his broken speech was that he was a carpenter. _A strong man, _she thought. _He can help me. He can get me out of here!_ Von Krolock replied to the man in French then led him to the sitting room. She watched as the vampire then left the foyer through another door. The instant she heard the door click shut she raced down the stairs and into the sitting room.

"Please sir! You must help me!" Startled by her sudden entrance, the Frenchman just stared at Anneliese. She tried to take his hand but he pulled it away. "I need you to help me get out of here! It isn't safe! For either of us! Please!" She reached for him again and he took a step back.

"Je ne comprends pas," he said quickly as he shook his head. "Je ne comprends pas!"

"That man you spoke with," she sobbed as she grabbed hold of his shirt, "is keeping me here against my will! He's going to kill me! Please! You have to help me!"

"S'il vous plaît! Arrêtez!" The Frenchman pushed Anneliese away and turned for the door.

"They're vampires!" He froze in his spot, paused a moment, then slowly turned back around to look at her.

"Vampires?"

"Yes, yes," Anneliese nodded. "Oui! Vampires!"

"Vampires..." He said the word slowly as if he was saying it for very first time. "Vampires?" Anneliese nodded again.

"Oui!"

"Vampires..." The Frenchman smiled and began to laugh.

"No... No! Please, sir you must believe me!" Anneliese began to feel sick to her stomach as her chance for escape began to vanish.

"Vampires!" The man was laughing hard now, his whole body shaking with the effort. "Vampires!"

"Oui, monsieur!" The Frenchman stopped laughing and Anneliese screamed when Von Krolock suddenly appeared behind him. "Vampires!" Von Krolock aimed for the man's neck with his mouth but was pushed back when the man's fist came into contact with the side of his head. Stunned by the impact, Von Krolock was still for a moment as he regained his bearings. The Frenchman took advantage of this and grabbed Anneliese. They ran into the foyer but before they could reach the front door Anneliese was ripped out of the man's grasp and thrown to the side. She blacked out for a moment when her head hit the floor. When she came to she saw Von Krolock had the Frenchman pinned to the floor. Even though the man was at least twice the vampire's size, Von Krolock held him down as if he were nothing but a small child. Anneliese scrambled to her feet and ran over to them.

"Don't hurt him!" She cried "Please, it's all my fault! Let him go!" Just as she reached them, Von Krolock dipped his head and bit down into the Frenchman's neck. "No! No no no!" Anneliese threw herself on the Count's back, beating him with her fists but he was completely unaffected by the blows. She hit and kicked but it wasn't until she tried pulling his long hair that Von Krolock let go of the man just long enough to push Anneliese off of him.

Once he was free of her, he turned his attention back to the Frenchman just in time to see the man's hand fly through the air toward him. He gripped the man's fist tight within his hand and squeezed. The bones in his large hand began to snap and crunch together and Anneliese held her hands over her ears in a failed effort to block out the Frenchman's horrific screams. When the sound finally stopped she forced herself to her hands and knees and crawled over to Von Krolock, still begging him to let the man go. "Stop it! Please let him go and bite me inst-" Her voice was drowned out by another scream as Von Krolock bit into the Frenchman's throat a second time.

Anneliese froze in her spot and cried as she watched helplessly as the man continued his struggle against the vampire. "No... Oh God..." she moaned. "Stop it! Stop it now! That's enough!" Just then, Von Krolock whipped his head to the side and Anneliese flinched as something splattered against her. She remained silent for a few moments before finally opening her eyes. Looking down at herself she found the front of her dress covered in a spray of blood. She felt something drip down the side of her nose and down her cheek. She touched her face and whimpered when she saw the blood on her hands. When she finally gained the courage to look up, she opened her mouth to scream but was unable to make a sound.

The Frenchman lay still in a pool of blood; his throat had been completely torn open and she watched in horror as a last few spurts of blood shot from his jugular until his heart finally stopped beating. It wasn't until a movement caught her eye that she finally saw Von Krolock. His face was covered in so much blood it was dripping from his jaw in thick strands. The front of his clothing-from the collar of his shirt all the way down to his knees-was soaked and there was so much blood on his hands that she couldn't see his pale skin beneath it. She tried to say something but when he bent over the body and placed his mouth into the gaping wound that was once the Frenchman's neck, she leaned over and vomited.

"Look, Anneliese" Anneliese retched again at the sound of Von Krolock's voice, thick and heavy from the blood. "Look at what you've done. Are you satisfied with yourself?"

"No... No..." She gasped between heaves. "I didn't... do this..."

"Oh but you did! This is your doing, Anneliese!" Anneliese heard the click of Von Krolock's heels against the marble floor as he walked toward her. "I had no reason to kill this man. I was simply going to send him away." Von Krolock knelt beside her and sighed. "But then you had to tell him my secret. I have a family to protect, Anneliese. You left me with no choice. Look at him. Look what you've done to him."

"No!" Anneliese shook her head, keeping her eyes on the floor. "You killed him!" Anneliese cried out in pain as Von Krolock grabbed her hair and pulled back, forcing her head up. He clamped a hand down over her mouth to silence her and to keep her from trying to look away.

"Look at him!" Forced to look at the mutilated corpse, Anneliese sobbed against Von Krolock's hand. "You did this," he snarled against her ear. "Because of your selfishness, never again will he feel the warm sun against his face or see the stars twinkling in the sky. Never again will he feel the embrace of a lover or hear the laughter of children. Look at him, Anneliese. Look at what you have caused." Tears were streaming from Anneliese's eyes and they slid down over Von Krolock's fingers, leaving streaks in the blood. "Are you still so curious to know what it's like to be a vampire? Hmm?" Anneliese tried to shake her head but Von Krolock's grip was too tight. "Go on, Anneliese. Taste it. Taste his blood." He pushed his hand hard against her mouth forcing it open and shoved his fingers inside. "Go on... lick it up. Lick it all up. This is your kill. You deserve the reward." He slid his fingers against her tongue until she gagged.

Anneliese vomited again; once... twice... until her stomach heaved and finally nothing more came out. She collapsed on the floor, crying and gasping for breath. Von Krolock sat down and with his elbows placed on his knees he rested his head in his bloody hands. They remained in silence this way for a little while until Anneliese saw Von Krolock move out of the corner of her eye. She watched as he quickly wiped one eye then the other with the back of his hand. He sniffed once then cleared his throat and when he lifted his head to look at her, she quickly closed her eyes. _Is he...? _Anneliese never finished her thought before she started to drift off from sheer exhaustion. Too soon after she fell asleep she was awoken again by the feeling of Von Krolock's nails scratching gently up and down the length of her spine.

"Get..." She gagged and swallowed hard to keep from vomiting again. "Get away from me!" Her voice was hoarse and it hurt to speak. "Don't touch me!" She tried to crawl away from the Count but she slipped in a spray of blood.

"Come now, you're going to hurt yourself." The Count's voice barely rose above a whisper. Anneliese tried again to get away from him but she felt so weak; her entire body was trembling violently and she was so dizzy she feared she would pass out. She felt his hands wrap around her waist and she fought against him as he pulled her toward him.

"Let go..." she rasped. "Let go of me!" She attempted to pry his hands off of her but the blood made them too slippery. She felt herself being pulled back until she was sitting on his lap being cradled firmly in his arms.

"Hush... Hush..." He whispered while softly rocking her as he rubbed her back. "You're going to make yourself sick again, Anneliese. You need to calm down."

"Calm down? You ripped his throat out right in front of me!" She thrust her fists against his chest repeatedly as she cried. "You _killed_ him! You're an animal! A monster! An evil, vile creature! Let me go!" Anneliese continued to struggle against him but he was too strong. He held her tightly until she finally gave up her battle and went limp in his arms. "I hate you!" She sobbed against his chest. "Oh God, how I _hate_ you! Why won't you just kill me already? End it right now! Please... I can't stand it anymore!"

They sat on the floor together like this for a while and when Anneliese finally calmed down enough, Von Krolock stood up, forcing Anneliese to her feet. "You need to get yourself clean now and get into bed. Koukol will bring your dinner to your room."

"How can you expect me to eat after all this?" Anneliese spat. She pulled away from him and tried to walk away but she was overcome by dizziness and her knees gave out. Von Krolock swept her up into his arms before she could fall.

"I didn't want to hurt him Anneliese," he spoke softly as he carried her up the stairs toward her bedroom.

"It's not my fault..." Anneliese shook with a sob and sniffled. "You killed him..." Von Krolock placed Anneliese on her bed; she stared up at him unable to look away from his fangs and the blood. "Koukol will draw a bath for you." He tried to wipe away some of the blood from her face but only succeeded in leaving a bigger mess from the blood still on his hands. "When you finish he will bring up your dinner. You may not feel hungry but you really should eat something." He turned to leave her but stopped when she called to him.

"Von Krolock."

"Yes, Anneliese." Von Krolock stood in the doorway, his back facing her, and waited patiently through the silence until she spoke again.

"I hate you," she finally said in a weak voice. He closed his eyes and took a long deep breath.

"I know." Von Krolock left the room, shutting the door gently behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you for the latest reviews! Enos, your comment really made my day! This story was completely inspired by Die unstillbare Gier so for you to say that it reminds you of that song is quite a compliment (as are your comments about my Count being the same Count from the stage - thank you so much!) This next bit is a little shorter than the previous installments but there's more excitement to come later on. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

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Anneliese slowly sat up in bed, rubbing her aching head and wishing Koukol would just leave her be. She had opted to sleep through breakfast but now he was pestering her to come down for lunch. At least she had thought it was lunchtime but as she opened her eyes now she realized it was well past sunset. She got up to light the gas lamp and gasped when she turned around to find Breda sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Breda... That's your name, right? Breda?" Breda smiled and nodded. "My name is Anneliese." Breda nodded again. Anneliese carefully sat down on the bed beside her. She seemed nice enough but Anneliese couldn't forget the fact that she was still a vampire. "Can't you speak?" Breda didn't respond. Instead she lowered her eyes to Anneliese's mouth and reached up to touch her own. "What? Do I...? Oh." Anneliese touched her face and she felt sick all over again. She had fallen asleep before she washed up and now her face and neck were covered in the Frenchman's dried blood. "I think I need a bath," she said to Breda, forcing herself to laugh in an effort to keep from crying.

Breda grabbed Anneliese's hand and led her to the bathroom where a tub full of hot water was already drawn. "Did you do this for me?" Breda nodded and began helping Anneliese out of her clothes and into the tub. With a long sigh, Anneliese sunk into the hot water. "Thank you, Breda." Anneliese looked to where the vampire had been only to find she was now alone in the room.

_They're all so different, _she thought as she slowly washed the blood away from her skin. Von Krolock and his son were like night and day but even Herbert had an air of coldness about him that reminded Anneliese of the Count even when he was trying to be civil. Then there was that... _creature _that had attacked her. It was the only one that had tried to harm her. All the others had kept their distance. All except Breda who was nothing like any of them. Breda was all the proof Anneliese needed to know that when Herbert had told her that vampires have little use for their emotions, he was only speaking from personal experience. Anneliese pushed all these thoughts from her head. She was finally allowed to have a bath in privacy and she wanted to enjoy it.

Once Anneliese was clean she went back to her room to find Breda waiting for her with clean nightclothes pulled out for her. As she dressed she noticed Breda admiring the dresses in the armoire. "Take whichever one you like." Breda looked back at Anneliese and Anneliese smiled at her. "Go ahead, pick one out."

"They aren't yours to be giving away." Herbert strode into the room carrying a tray which he set down on the small table.

"What is the harm in letting her have one dress?" Anneliese asked defensively. "It's not as if I will be needing them after tomorrow."

"Why? Where are you going?" Anneliese glared at Herbert and he shrugged. "They aren't yours, that's the harm in it. You simply can't give away something that doesn't belong to you."

"Who do they belong to?"

"My father. You are certainly free to ask him if Breda may have one of the dresses but under the circumstances..."

"You know what happened?" Anneliese asked. She wondered if Von Krolock had told him or if he had witnessed it himself and had chosen not to interfere.

"Of course I know. By the way, there is your dinner." He motioned to the tray he had put on the table. "Koukol had just left it on the dinner table and it was getting cold so I brought it up for you." Anneliese was about to thank him but he cut her off. "Because I was already on my way up here," he said quickly. "I wasn't trying to do you a favor."

"Of course you weren't, Herbert." Anneliese couldn't help but smile. "But thank you anyway." Herbert moved to leave but Anneliese stopped him before he could. "Herbert."

"Hmm?"

"Is your father... Is he angry?" Herbert exchanged glances with Breda and she left the room.

"Of course he is," he said when Breda was gone.

"Is that it?" Herbert gave her a questioning look. "I mean is he just angry or... is he sad as well?"

"Father? Sad?" Herbert laughed. "My father doesn't get _sad_ and if he did, the only thing he would have had to be sad about was the horrible mess that was left. Why on earth would you think he was sad?" Anneliese thought of the way Von Krolock had wiped his eyes and wondered if she had been mistaken, if maybe he had only been wiping away blood that had gotten into his eyes.

"I had never seen anything so... horrific..." Anneliese's voice wavered as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. "He went too far. He went too far with that poor man and with myself."

"You still don't get it do you?"

"Get what?"

"Everything he has done that has you so upset with him all the time could have been prevented but you continue to push him."

"Are you saying it's my fault that man is dead now?" She shouted. "Are you saying I deserved all this? That I deserved to be forced to watch him die so horribly? That I deserved to be forced to..." Her stomach tensed at the thought of the way the Frenchman's blood on Von Krolock's fingers had tasted in her mouth.

"You put him in a compromising position. He wouldn't have done it if you-"

"You sound just like your father!" Anneliese screamed and stomped her foot. "I thought you were different!"

"Anneliese, I am a vampire. What exactly do you expect of me?" Anneliese sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Apparently too much," she said as she stared at the floor.

"If you would stop provoking him your time here would be much easier." Herbert sat on the bed beside Anneliese and slid the table with her dinner on it in front of her. "You really should eat."

"Stop provoking him? What should I have done then? Just sat around all week and wait like a good little girl for him to come and kill me? And get this away from me! I'm not hungry!" Anneliese kicked the table, knocking the tray of food onto the floor.

"Father won't be able to kill you."

"Is he going to let me go?" She asked hopefully.

"No, I mean that he won't be able to kill you because, after last night, once Koukol sees this mess he's going to kill you first." Anneliese couldn't help but laugh.

"Herbert," she said when she finally stopped laughing. Tears began to sting her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared." Anneliese looked at Herbert but found little comfort in his cold eyes.

"It won't be so bad, Anneliese. It will be over before you know it. You can stay with us here in the castle and-"

"He's going to kill me," she whispered, not wanting to hear her own words. "I just know he's going to kill me."

"Anneliese..."

"Don't. Just... don't." Anneliese wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Tomorrow is my final day. No one will come for me and the next day your father is going to kill me. Nothing you can say will change it. I've made him absolutely miserable ever since I've been here. He's going to kill me. I know he will."

"Father is _always _miserable. He's not going t-"

"Do you even care?" Anneliese stared at Herbert but he said nothing. "Do you even care what happens to me? If he decides to kill me, would you try to stop him?"

"I can't-"

"I didn't ask you what you could or could not do!" She snapped. "I asked you if you _would_." Fully expecting him to say no, she was surprised when he remained silent, but she wouldn't allow herself to believe it actually meant something. "No, of course you wouldn't. Because I deserve whatever I have coming to me, isn't that right?"

"Anne-"

"Get out."

"An-"

"Get out!" She yelled and she gave him a shove so he would get off the bed. "Just get out!" She lay down on the bed, turned her back toward Herbert and closed her eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you for the latest reviews! It's wonderful to see that others are taking from it what I put into it when I wrote it. Sorry for the delay in posting this next part.

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Anneliese awoke the next morning feeling groggy from too much sleep. After having slept most of the day away the previous day she never expected to sleep through the whole night but she had. She climbed out of bed and sighed when she saw the overturned dinner was still on her floor. She felt bad for leaving the mess and she decided she could clean it up as soon as she had breakfast but when she dressed for the day and went downstairs, no food had been put out for her. She went into the kitchen to see about preparing something for herself but after a thorough search of the kitchen, she found that all the food had been removed.

"You! Ooouut!" Anneliese spun around to find Koukol glaring at her.

"Where is all the food?" She asked him.

"Gone! Out!" He hobbled toward her and pushed her toward the door. "Ooouuut!"

"But I'm hungry, Koukol," she protested. "I haven't eaten in over a day."

"Upstairs! You eat... off floooor!"

"I really am sorry about that. Please stop pushing me!" Koukol shoved Anneliese out of the kitchen and into the dining room. "I was going to clean it up myself after breakfast."

"No food!"

"What about lunch?"

"Nooo food!"

"Dinner?"

"No! Food!" Koukol stomped a foot after each word.

"You're going to starve me because I made a mess that I just said I was going to clean up?" Anneliese was shouting now. Koukol turned his back to Anneliese and something within her snapped. She had suffered so much over the past week. She was going to die the very next day and it was as if they were going to make her suffer up until the very last minute of her life. Without thinking, she grabbed a pewter candlestick from the table and smashed a vase that was being displayed on a nearby pedestal. Koukol whipped around and screamed.

"Stop!"

"Where is the food?"

"No food!" Anneliese narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Raising the candlestick above her head she swung it through the glass window of a display case. Koukol screamed at her again and began stomping his feet.

"Where is the food, Koukol?"

"No!" Anneliese swung the candlestick again, breaking the second window in the display case. "Stooop!" Koukol shouted. He tried to grab the candlestick but Anneliese quickly stepped away.

"I hate you!" She screamed. She smashed the candlestick against a painting, tearing into the canvas and causing it to fall from the wall, the frame splintering when it hit the floor. "All of you! I hate you!" She kicked another pedestal and the vase upon it crashed to the floor. "I hate every!" She smashed the candlestick through one of the narrow windows then moved to the next one. "Single!" She broke the second window then moved to the next. "One of you!" The window suffered the same fate as the first two before she stormed off into the foyer with Koukol chasing after her, screaming for her to stop.

Anneliese tore through the foyer, smashing everything within reach before facing Koukol. "Where is your key? She growled. Koukol held his hands up in front of him to show her they were empty. "Give me the key, Koukol!" She raised the candlestick in an effort to threaten him.

"No key!" He patted the ring he always kept fastened to his pants and Anneliese saw that the key that normally hung there was gone. "Gone! No food!" Suddenly Anneliese let out a shriek. She ran toward Koukol but when he dove to the side out of her way, she continued to run until she reached the door.

"Let me out! Let me out of here!" Anneliese screamed at the top of her lungs and beat against the heavy wood door with the candlestick. "You can't! Do! This! To me!" Koukol simply sat and watched as Anneliese tried to break her way through the door. Minutes passed before she started to tire and she realized it was hopeless; all she had succeeded in doing was leaving a bunch of tiny dents in the door from the sharp corner of the candlestick's base. Eventually she stopped; the candlestick slipped from her hand and felt to the floor with a loud clatter and she sunk to her knees, her body shaking with her sobs. "Please just let me go..." She whimpered softly against the door.

Anneliese remained on the floor, quiet and unmoving, but just when Koukol thought it was over she pounded both fists again the door in one hard blow. "Von Krolock," she hissed between her teeth. She rose to her feet and Koukol watched as she disappeared into the sitting room. Moments later she reappeared carrying a fireplace poker, headed straight toward the crypt door.

"Out! No! Oouut!" Koukol hurried toward Anneliese but she turned on him, holding the poker above her head.

"Stay away from me!" Koukol finally backed off and Anneliese stormed down into the crypt, not stopping until she was standing next to Von Krolock's coffin. "It's over, Von Krolock," she whispered angrily at the closed box. She placed the poker on the floor, leaning it against the the stone table the coffin was resting upon and gripped the edge of the lid with both hands. "I won't let you kill me, Von Krolock. Not without a-" Anneliese pushed the lid open and froze. The coffin was empty. "No..." She reached into the coffin, unable to believe what she was seeing, and felt the satin lining. It's was completely cool. "No..." She whimpered again. "No no no this can't be happening..." She continued to grope around the satin lining, desperate to believe it was just a trick; that he was really there and just making her believe that he wasn't.

But the coffin was empty and it felt as if it had been empty all morning. She took a few steps back and when she bumped against Herbert's coffin, she turned and opened his to find it empty as well. "It's a trick," she cried. "It has got to be a trick! Von Krolock!" She screamed his name over and over again until her voice gave out but the only response she got was the echo of her own voice. It was over. Anneliese had played a game with the devil and lost and tomorrow she was going to lose her life. Ignoring the poker and the open coffins, Anneliese trudged slowly up the stairs and out of the crypt.

When she entered the foyer she expected an assault from Koukol but the room was completely silent. She slowly walked around looking over all the destruction she had caused, but the hunchback was nowhere to be found. The dining room had received the worst of the damage. She felt sick looking at it all; if Von Krolock hadn't actually planned to kill her before, she thought he would certainly consider it now. She collapsed into a chair at the table, put her head and cried. There was no way out for her now. Unless...

Anneliese sat up and reached for a chunk of glass that had come from the broken window. She placed it on the table before her and looked at it carefully, wondering if she could go through it with. _I don't think I can do it, _she thought. _I have to cut so deeply... _But it had to be less painful than what Von Krolock was planning on doing to her. _Maybe there is still a chance. Maybe I can defend myself. _But a man at least twice Von Krolock's size was no match for him; how could she manage to defend herself against someone so strong? _Suicide is a sin... _But surely God would forgive her for it considering the circumstances. She battled her thoughts back and forth for hours, not even realizing it when the sun began to set, before she finally made her decision. Anneliese held the sharp tip of the glass against the thin flesh of her wrist. She said a quick prayer asking the Lord to forgive her sins and bring death to her quickly, then pushed the glass, cutting into her wrist.

"Koukol! Koukol!" Anneliese jumped at the sound of Herbert's voice coming from the foyer. "Father's been hurt!" Anneliese scrambled over to the door clutching her wrist as the small cut bled, and peered into the foyer to see Herbert ascending the stairs with his father draped limply over his shoulder. She ran out of the dining room and up the stairs.

"What happened?" She asked Herbert as she followed him up the stairs to the top floor where the master bedroom was.

"He was attacked," Herbert explained quickly. "He's been beaten pretty badly." They stopped in front of the master bedroom and Herbert kicked the door open.

"Is he... going to die...?" Anneliese stared at Von Krolock's hands as they dangled lifelessly behind Herbert.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Herbert hissed. Before Anneliese could respond, he walked into the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

Anneliese had no idea how long she sat outside of the bedroom door before Herbert finally came out again. "I doubt you will be happy to hear that my father is going to survive," he shot down at her. Anneliese got to her feet and approached him carefully.

"Can I see him?"

"If you'd like, though I doubt he wants to see you."

"I'm really sorry Herbert..." Anneliese reached out to touch him but he pulled away and headed back down the hall.

"Be careful," he called back before she went into the room. "The old fool is liable to bite. He's already bitten me twice." Anneliese swallowed hard to calm her nerves and entered the bedroom. Closing the door quietly behind her, she spread open the curtains in the entrance and stared in shock of the sight before her.

Instead of the larger than life character she had come to know over the past week, a fragile looking figure sat on the edge of the bed, hunched over with his back to her. Through the thin layer of muscles she could plainly see the outline of his ribs and spine. A few cuts and many large bruises stood out against his pale skin and his body trembled slightly as if each breath he took caused him great pain.

"Get out of here." His voice was so tired and weak that Anneliese could barely recognize it.

"Your Excellency..."

"Get out!" Von Krolock coughed so hard he began to shake. "Go..." He coughed again. "Away..." Anneliese passed through the curtains and slowly approached the bed.

"I just wanted to see-"

"What?" He snapped. "What could you possibly have come to see?" She walked over to stand beside him but he refused to look at her. "Have you come to see how pathetic the monster truly is?" Anneliese didn't answer. She stood silently as she stared down at his gaunt frame. Herbert had helped clean all the blood away but there were so many wounds. The bruises were horrible-almost black in contrast to his skin-but the stab wounds scared her. They looked so deep she was sure some of them went all the way down to the bone.

"You need to see a doctor." Von Krolock gave a humorless laugh which was quickly overcome with more coughing.

"I don't need a doctor. I will heal." He tried to stand but he lacked the strength to even push himself off the bed.

"You shouldn't be up," Anneliese scolded gently. "You are too weak, you need to lay down." She reached out for him but pulled her hand back when Von Krolock hissed, exposing his fangs to her.

"If I am so weak, maybe now is a good time to kill me. What do you say Anneliese?" Von Krolock was still refusing to look at her but she didn't need to see his face to know just how angry he was; venom was oozing from his voice. "A fire poker through the heart, perhaps? You won't even need to go back down to the crypt to get it. There's one right over there." Anneliese knelt down on the floor beside him.

"I wouldn't have done it," she whispered. Von Krolock chuckled softly.

"You would have tried. You would have failed, but you would have tried. Go on, Anneliese. You've got another chance now. See if you have it in you to kill me. Maybe... just _maybe_ I will be too weak to defend myself." Anneliese stared at him unsure of how to respond. He was right; she had wanted to kill him. Not just when she had gone down to the crypt, but when she walked into his bedroom just a few minutes ago. But now that she was faced with him she didn't know if she could go through with it. "Weak, worthless..." Von Krolock coughed. "Coward..." Anneliese clenched her jaw and her face flushed with anger. She was about to deny his insults when a small tear slipped from the corner of Von Krolock's eye. He wiped it away quickly but it was too late; Anneliese had seen it and she realized that his stinging words weren't meant for her. He was speaking of himself.

Anneliese looked down at his hand which was resting on his thin, bare knee. Sitting there in nothing but his underwear he looked so fragile and for a moment she was afraid that if she touched him he would break. She stood up and carefully sat on the bed beside him. She fully expected him to to move away but he remained so still it was as if he hadn't known she was there. Gingerly she reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder. He tried to pull away, as she had expected, but he was too weak to fight it.

"Your Excellency," she whispered, "you must lay down. Please let me help you. I won't-"

"I don't need your pity."

"I don't pity you. I just want to h-"

"Why on earth would you want to help me?"

"Because you're hurting."

"I am fine," he snapped. "I will heal."

"Your cuts and bruises will heal," nervously she reached across him and very gently placed her hand over his heart, "but what about this?" Von Krolock looked down at her hand.

"There is nothing there," he sighed. He moved as if to speak again but when he said nothing, Anneliese followed his gaze to find that her sleeve had pulled away from her wrist exposing the cut she had made with the glass. "You've cut yourself..." He whispered. He lowered his head and opened his mouth but quickly turned away and sighed. "Go away Anneliese."

"Will it help? My blood, I mean. If I let you drink from my cut... will it help you heal?" For the first time since she entered the room, Von Krolock finally looked at Anneliese. His eyes were red and glistening from tears he refused to let fall. She pulled up her sleeve and held her wrist in front of his face. Von Krolock wrapped his fingers around her arm and was about to put his mouth to her wound when he felt her stiffen. "Are you going to bite me?" She asked in a shaky voice. "Will this... change me?"

"No, nothing will happen to you," he assured her.

"Alright... Go ahead." Anneliese bit her lip and cringed in anticipation of pain as Von Krolock placed his lips against her wrist. She flinched a little at the discomfort it gave when he sucked against the wound to break through the clot that had begun to form but once the blood was flowing freely again there was no more pain. She watched him closely as he drank from her arm and swore she could see a touch of color-as much as he could ever have-return to his face. After a short while she began to feel lightheaded and just as she started to wonder how much more he would take from her, she felt his tongue slide over her wound. His tongue moved slow and almost sensually along her skin; Anneliese's eyes drifted shut and she couldn't repress a soft moan. Von Krolock pulled away and she moaned again at the loss of contact. When she opened her eyes again the room began to spin a little.

"Are you alright?" Von Krolock asked her. A little blood dripped from her cut; he licked it away and Anneliese shivered.

"Yes..." She blinked in an effort to clear her head. "I'm a little light headed." Von Krolock gently pulled her onto his lap and latched onto her wrist again. Anneliese relaxed completely in his arms, resting her head against his bare chest and closing her eyes against the dizziness she felt. Her fingers and toes began to tingle and eventually a comfortable numbness spread through her body. His tongue was cool and slick as it glided slowly around her wrist picking up the blood as it trickled out. Every so often the tips of his fangs grazed against her wrist-the sensation filled her stomach with butterflies-but he was careful not to cut her. As Von Krolock continued feed from her, Anneliese held him tightly and traced her fingers along his back, causing him to sigh against her arm.

Anneliese began to feel drowsy when Von Krolock finally released her wrist. "Please," she sighed softly. "Don't stop..."

"I must... I have to. I have to stop." Von Krolock's voice was thick and hoarse. "Please, Anneliese... You need to leave me. Now." He helped her off of his lap. Anneliese felt dizzy as she stood and had to grab hold of his shoulders to steady herself.

"Did I do something wrong, Your Excellency?" She tried to sit beside him again but he pushed her away gently.

"No. But you must go back to your room now and promise me you won't return here tonight."

"Why? Why can't I stay here? Please let me stay," she begged. Von Krolock grabbed her arms firmly and looked up at her.

"If you don't leave now I might not be able to stop myself," he rasped. "Go on, get out..." Anneliese took a step back, afraid of the look she saw in Von Krolock's eyes.

"Your Ex-"

"Go!" Anneliese ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She moved to return to her room but her legs gave out on her and she fell to the floor. She knew she had to move but she couldn't find the strength. She was scared that the door would open again and Von Krolock would suddenly grab her and pull her back in the room to bite her, but what scared her more was the fact that she wouldn't fight it, she would welcome it.

"Anne!" She heard footsteps move along the carpeted floor toward her. "Anne! Sit up!" She felt hands grab her shoulders painfully as they forced her to sit up then cold fingers attacked her neck. "Did he bite you? Anne? Anne!" Anneliese finally opened her eyes to find Herbert kneeling in front of her. "Did he bite you?" Anneliese shook her head weakly.

"I cut myself..." She tried to show him her wrist but she simply couldn't move.

"When did you eat last?"

"I... don't know. It was all gone. Koukol..." Anneliese closed her eyes; all she wanted to do was fall asleep and she wished Herbert would leave her be. "What are you doing?" She groaned when he picked her up but she passed out before she could hear his answer.


	14. Chapter 14

"Go on, eat." Herbert sat in a chair on the other side of the room from where Anneliese sat in bed with a tray of food on her lap that Herbert had brought to her. Anneliese looked down at the plate of bread, cheese and fruit and crinkled her nose.

"I can't. I feel sick."

"Well the smell of it is making _me_ sick so eat it already." Anneliese took a small bite of the bread and chewed slowly.

"I don't even know why I let him do it. I just did and now... now I want more." Anneliese's voice shook as she struggled to hold back her tears. "What is wrong with me? How could I enjoy such a thing?"

"You were bonding." Herbert said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Bonding?"

"Bonding. For lack of a better word. The bite and poison hurt." Herbert stared down at his hands as he spoke. "When we drink your blood it brings on a feeling of euphoria leaving you wanting more. You bond with the vampire during those moments and when the vampire returns for more, you're willing to let him bite you again."

"I will _never_ let him bite me again! No amount of... _bonding_ would ever make me let him-"

"But you will," Herbert interrupted. "If my father wants to bite you, you will let him. You won't be able to fight it now. You won't care about the pain it causes, all you will think about is the pleasure."

"If...? What do you mean _if _ he wants to bite me?"

"Today is the seventh day." Herbert rubbed his fingers over a spot on his pants as if trying to press out a wrinkle that wasn't there. "Believe it or not I have no idea what he plans on doing with you come tomorrow." Neither one spoke for a while, both unsure of what to say.

"I've never been so afraid," Anneliese finally said. "Not even when he bit me. When he sent me away he had this look in his eyes. I don't know what it was but it frightened me. What I saw there wasn't him. It was as if he had been taken over by... something." She shuddered at the memory.

"He lost a lot of blood. He was weak," Herbert explained, "and weakened vampires lose control very easily. He would have bitten you."

"Then why didn't he? Why did he send me away? Why didn't he just take what he wanted?" Anneliese struggled to fight back the desire to throw her tray across the room.

"If he bit you in the state he is in he would have killed you." Anneliese remained silent, forcing herself to eat more of her dinner as she thought about Herbert's words. She wondered if he hadn't killed her then simply to string her along until the eighth day, which was just a few hours away, but then she thought about the way he had looked at her the first time; the way he had seemed so broken and defeated. There had been anger in his voice when she first entered the room but by the time he finally looked at her there was no anger in his eyes, only sadness. Then she thought about his reaction to her touch. He had tried to pull away from her as if she was trying to hurt him and she wondered if anyone ever touched him purely out of kindness or all he ever experienced were physical attacks by people who were so afraid of him, just like herself.

"Well, good night Anneliese." The coldness in Herbert's voice pulled Anneliese from her thoughts and she looked up to see him pick up her tray and head toward the door.

"Please don't hate me." Herbert stopped in the doorway, his back toward Anneliese.

"I don't hate you," he snapped.

"I tried to kill him," she reminded him. Herbert didn't respond. "You should hate me."

"I don't hate you," he repeated, his voice softer this time.

"But you don't like me..." Herbert looked down at the floor. "Herbert...?

"What?"

"Do you love him?"

"You should get to sleep, Anneliese."

"You should tell him."

"Tell him what?" He asked, still staring at the floor. His voice was unreadable and Anneliese wished she could see his face.

"That you love him."

"Vampires don't love," he sighed. "Good night, Anneliese." Before Anneliese could respond Herbert walked out of the room.

-.-.-.-.-

"Slow down, Herbert, please!" Anneliese ran behind Herbert trying to catch up with him.

"It's late! Go to bed!" Herbert stuck his hand in the air and waved her off.

"I just want to know if he's alright!" Herbert stopped so suddenly that Anneliese ran into him.

"You have been hounding me the past three nights," he sighed. "Don't you even sleep anymore?"

"Of course I do..."

"Why can't you sleep at night like a normal human being?"

"The days here are dreadfully boring. I have no one to talk to. Please, Herbert... just tell me if your father is alright."

"What about Koukol?"

"Koukol!" Anneliese rolled her eyes. "Koukol isn't much for conversation. Besides, he really doesn't seem to like me." Herbert folded his arms across his chest and glared down at her.

"You destroyed two whole rooms," he reminded her. Anneliese blushed and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Is your father terribly angry with me? I honestly don't know what happened. I didn't realize I was even doing it."

"A few broken objects is hardly the problem. I believe he's more concerned about the fact you tried to kill him."

"Herbert, that isn't fair!" Anneliese shouted. "I was terrified! What would you have expected me to do?"

"He's my father," Herbert turned and tried to leave. "Do not ask me to defend your actions." Anneliese reached out to grab his arm, forcing him to face her again.

"What is he going to do to me?" Herbert thought for a moment then shrugged.

"I don't know. Would you like to ask him yourself?" Anneliese released Herbert's arm and took a step back. Herbert turned from her again and quickly walked away.

"I just want to know if he is alright!" She called out to him but she received no answer.

-.-.-.-.-

"Get that vile stuff away from me!" Von Krolock knocked the bottle out of Herbert's hand and it fell to the carpet with a soft thud.

"You aren't done healing," Herbert muttered. "Those stab wounds were very deep and take more effort to heal. You need to eat more. I still can't believe you let this happen. You're always so aware of your surroundings." He picked up the bottle, removed the cork and held it out to his father.

"It's gone sour." Von Krolock looked away from the bottle to signify he had no intentions of taking it. Herbert held the spout of the bottle under his nose and inhaled deeply.

"It smells just fine."

"Then you drink it," Von Krolock sniffed. "I'm sick of bottled blood. I want fresh."

"You've got fresh blood right here," Herbert said as he re-corked the bottle and set it down on the night stand beside his father's bed. "She's probably aimlessly wandering around the castle this very minute. I can bring her to you if you'd like."

"Leave her out of this," the Count grumbled. Herbert fell into a soft chair, rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"She won't leave me be! Every time she sees me she asks me about your condition. I really wish you would just bite her already."

"I never said I was going to bite her. I hate these infernal things," Von Krolock muttered as he fussed with the many blankets and pillows on his bed. "I need my coffin."

"You don't even have the strength to climb into it," Herbert reminded him. "You would be back there by now if you'd eat what I bring you."

"I would eat what you bring me," Von Krolock snapped, "if you would bring me something worth eating." Herbert sat up straight in his chair and glared at his father.

"That blood is perf-"

"You should be going out and bringing me fresh blood but instead you are too busy thinking of yourself to take a little time out of your busy schedule to help your own father! If you want me to eat again you need to bring someone here to me, is that understood? Why don't you go out and track down the bastard that did this to me? He would make a fine meal."

"Yes Father," Herbert said, staring at the floor. They were silent for a short while before Herbert spoke again. "What do you mean you aren't going to bite her? What are you going to do?"

"I did not say I am not going to bite her." Von Krolock's voice was soft but the irritation in it was obvious. "I haven't decided yet."

"Are you... going to let her go?"

"Maybe I will just kill her instead," Von Krolock said quickly, glaring at his son.

"I don't want you to kill her," Herbert said defensively. His father sneered at this.

"And why should I care what you want?"

"I like her."

"You!" Von Krolock laughed loudly. "Since when do _you _like anyone besides yourself?" Herbert returned his focus to the floor.

"I love you," he replied softly. Von Krolock looked at his son, disbelief written over his face.

"Excuse me? Can you repeat that?" Von Krolock leaned forward in his bed. "I must have misheard you," he chuckled, "because I can't imagine you would have actually just said y-"

"She's really nice," Herbert said suddenly, looking at his father again. His voice shook a little and he mentally cursed himself for it. "Anneliese. She's concerned about you." Von Krolock leaned back against his pillows and closed his eyes.

"She lost her bet three nights ago," he said softly. "She is only concerned about herself."


	15. Chapter 15

Anneliese was searching for a snack when she heard voices coming toward the kitchen. One voice belonged to Von Krolock but the other she didn't recognize. Just before the door opened she threw herself into the first hiding place she found, a bit of empty space beneath the sink. From her position she could only see the men from their knees down. The unknown guest, wearing an old pair of dirty leather boots, entered first. Von Krolock followed immediately after and Anneliese shuddered at the memory of being bitten when she saw his expensive shoes.

"Let me out of here you bastard!" The man in the dirty boots shouted. Anneliese tensed at the sound of his voice. It was thick and heavy as if he had just been sleeping, but there was something about it she recognized, yet she couldn't quite place it. He ran over to the door that led outside and gave it a hard kick when he found it was locked. Von Krolock remained where he was directly in front of where Anneliese was hiding. "You have no right to keep me here! I..." He stumbled back a few steps before hitting the large island that stood in the middle of the kitchen. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"It's just the chloroform my son gave you," Von Krolock said. "You have just woken up. It will wear off soon."

"You fucking drugged me? I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you for this!" Anneliese watched as the man ran toward Von Krolock and jumped when the cabinet she was hiding in jostled as Von Krolock shoved him hard against the sink. A knife fell to the tile floor mere inches away from Anneliese. The Count's pale hand came into her view as he reached to pick it up and she held her breath, praying he wouldn't see her there. When he picked it up she thought she was safe until he spoke.

"Come on out, Anneliese, and greet our new guest." Anneliese didn't move; she _couldn't_ move. She was sure he hadn't seen her, so how did he know she was there? She let out a small cry when Von Krolock was suddenly face to face with her, smiling at her. "I can hear you breathe," he chuckled. "You really should come out of there. I believe our guest is a former acquaintance of yours." He took hold of her hand and helped her out of the cabinet and when she saw the man Von Krolock had cornered she froze.

"Hans..." She gasped when she recognized the farmer that had raped her when she was a child.

"Liesl!" Hans reached out and pulled Anneliese into a hug.

"Let go of me!" Anneliese struggled against the large man, becoming sick from the feeling of his touch and the strong smell of body odor. "Get your hands off of me!" She was finally freed when Von Krolock pulled Hans away from her and pushed him back against the sink.

"Is this the knife you attacked me with three nights ago?" Von Krolock held Hans' knife in front of the farmer's face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he spat. "Let me out of here! Liesl...!"

"I counted thirty-seven stab wounds. Nearly half of them right down to the bone." Von Krolock carefully traced the tip of the blade across Hans' face.

"Th-that's i-i-impossible," Hans stuttered. "Y-you'd be d-dead."

"Yes, well," the Count chuckled, "I already am."

"You're mad! Liesl!" Hans looked at Anneliese. "Don't just stand there, do something!"

"Stop calling me that," Anneliese muttered. No one but Hans ever called her Liesl and the mere sound of it brought back fresh memories of all that he had done to her.

"Yes, Anneliese!" Von Krolock forced the knife into her hand. "Do something!" He said in a mocking tone. "Do something for our guest!" Hans tried to escape between them but Von Krolock wrapped a hand around his neck and held him in place.

"Help me, Liesl!" He gasped. "Get me out of here!" Anneliese covered her ears.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Kill him, Liesl!"

"Stop it!" Anneliese shut her eyes. "Stop it stop it stop it!"

"Cut his throat! Come on, pumpkin, help your papa!" Anneliese let out a scream that startled both Von Krolock and Hans. Without thinking, she clenched the knife tightly within her fist, raised it above her head and plunged it deep into Hans' large belly. Hans jerked within Von Krolock's grasp at the blow and screamed.

"You bastard!" Anneliese screamed at him. "You are _not_ my father!" She pulled the knife out of his stomach and stabbed him a second time; blood sprayed from the impact and hit Anneliese but she barely noticed. "You ruined me! You ruined my life!" She stabbed him again and again as she screamed. "I hate you! I hate you!" She continued her attacks completely unaware of what she was doing until she felt two strong arms pulling her back.

"Anneliese... Anneliese, that's enough." Von Krolock spoke gently in her ear. "Relax.. That's it. Take a few deep breaths and calm down." He rubbed her back in large, slow circles and when Anneliese began to calm down she dropped the knife and sobbed when she saw Hans' body on the floor, propped up against the base of the sink.

"Is he... dead?" She whimpered

"No. He is still breathing." Anneliese watched the slow rise and fall of Hans chest for a moment before looking up at Von Krolock.

"Please kill him!" She whispered. She grabbed hold of the lapels of his jacket and pleaded with him. "Don't change him; he doesn't deserve that! He doesn't deserve to live at all!" She buried her face against his shirt and cried. "Do what you'd like to him... rip him to shreds, feed him to the others! I don't care! Just kill him, please!" Von Krolock pulled out of her grasp and knelt beside Hans.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Anneliese nodded. "Go on then, you won't want to see this," he said. She was about to leave when she caught sight of his fangs. Images of the way he had torn through the Frenchman's neck flashed through her mind and she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement knowing she was about to exact vengeance upon the man who had stolen her childhood and forced her to take the life of her own baby.

"No..." she rasped. "I want to watch." A smile flashed briefly on Von Krolock's face before he leaned over Hans and bit down into his neck. Hans' body jerked and he made a groaning sound that quickly turned into a deep gurgle as Von Krolock slowly pulled his head back. Hans' hands flew up and flailed around before finally making contact with Von Krolock's head. Von Krolock released Hans' neck to pull away from the attacks and Anneliese could finally see his face. His skin was white-even paler than Von Krolock's-and his mouth was open in a wide O as if he was trying to scream, but no sound came out. Hans swung a clawed hand that just barely missed Von Krolock's face. Von Krolock grabbed Hans' arm with both hands and with an effortless motion, snapped his wrist. Hans tried to scream but the only sound that came from his mouth was that sickening gurgle as bits of blood sprayed out.

"So you enjoy fucking little girls?" the Count asked as he leaned over Hans. Long strands of saliva mixed with Hans' blood dripped from his lips. "Do you enjoy seeing their tiny little bodies struggling against you knowing they're too weak to stop you?" He growled. Hans stared at him, mouth still open but unable to speak as he slowly drowned in his own blood. Placing his thumbs over Hans' eyes, he pushed down upon them until they began to bleed. Anneliese wasn't sure she could take anymore. This was far worse than what he had done to the Frenchman and she didn't want to see how much worse it would get.

"Your Excellency! Please, that's enough!" She reached out for him but quickly stumbled back when Von Krolock hissed at her and snapped at her hand. Turning back to Hans he lowered his face to his neck again. His teeth tore through Hans' jugular and Anneliese watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as blood gushed from the thick vein. She heard sounds-horrible, sickening sounds-as the vampire bit down again to get a better grip on the flesh and muscle of the dying man's neck. He pulled hard until the chunk of skin broke free, leaving a deep gash in Hans' neck that went from one ear to the other.

When Von Krolock pulled away from Hans again, Anneliese saw that the farmer was finally dead. His bloody, unseeing eyes stared up at the ceiling, his mouth hung open as drips of blood spilled from it, and his body was completely still. She didn't know how long she stared, taking in all the destruction Von Krolock had caused to Hans' neck, before two hands grabbed her firmly and turned her to face away from the body.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her voice trembled as her emotions finally took over and she began to cry silent tears. Von Krolock placed a finger under her chin and when she looked up at him she saw that although he had made an effort to clean himself, there were still streaks of blood on his face. She tried to speak but Von Krolock placed one long finger over her lips and hushed her. She couldn't help but notice his fangs were still out and when he lowered his head she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping against hope that he wasn't going to bite her.

Fully expecting a jolt of pain, Anneliese gasped when she felt the familiar cool slickness of his tongue against her cheek. He swirled it around slowly, tracing the pattern left by the sprays of blood that had hit her when she stabbed Hans. She made another attempt to speak but his tongue grazed over the tender spot just below her ear and she moaned softly. _I don't want this, _she thought. _Please stop... Dear God, please... _Von Krolock continued to slide his tongue slowly across the line of her jaw until he reached her chin. _No... No... _His tongue gently caressed her lips. She sighed and when her lips parted slightly, he slid his tongue inside her mouth.

Anneliese placed her hands against Von Krolock's chest in an attempt to push him away but the vampire pulled her tightly against his body. _I don't... _Von Krolock slid his tongue against her own, giving her a taste of the salty-sweet blood, and she moaned. _...want this... _As Von Krolock continued the kiss, Anneliese's head began to spin and she suddenly felt grateful for the way he was holding her; she didn't think her legs would be able to support her.

When he finally released her mouth, Anneliese gasped as air filled her burning lungs. She wanted him to stop, to let her go, but she couldn't find the words or the strength to say them as he continued to lick away the blood from her skin. Her head fell limply back as he trailed the length of her neck, alternating between gentle little flicks and slow sensual licks. By now she was clinging to the vampire's coat, their bodies pressed firmly together. She felt his hands slide down her body and when they reached her backside, she moaned when she felt his hardness against her as he pulled her hips against his own.

She felt herself being guided back and when she was leaning against a table Von Krolock slid his hands down to her thighs and picked her up and placed her upon it. His mouth never left her neck and when Anneliese felt his fangs graze sharply against her she whimpered. "Yes..." _No!_ She thought quickly. _This isn't what I want!_ Von Krolock licked his way back up her neck and as he sucked on her earlobe she groaned. He slid his hands from her waist up to her breasts and squeezed them gently through her clothes. "Don't stop," she whispered. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him against her again, groaning at the sensation of his hard member rubbing her between her legs as he ground his hips against her.

Anneliese..." Von Krolock groaned in her ear. Anneliese held onto him tightly, her face buried in his neck.

"Please," she whimpered, "don't stop... Don't stop..." She had never felt anything like this before. Her whole body was on fire; her fingers and toes tingled and she almost felt as if she could pass out from the pleasure he was giving her. A strange new sensation began to form in her stomach and she knew she couldn't let him stop... not now. The sensation increased as Von Krolock sped up his pace. "Your Excellency..." she sighed against his neck before placing a few soft kisses there and when Von Krolock moaned she parted her lips and sucked on the tender skin.

"Oh God... Anneliese..." Von Krolock thrust his hips hard against Anneliese, placing a hand on the table behind her for support. Just as Anneliese felt as though she was about to reach her peak, Von Krolock's body stiffened against her and he moaned loudly.

"What...?" In shock and out of breath, Anneliese could barely speak. Von Krolock pulled out of her grasp and turned away from her. "What are you doing?"

"I must go," he told her as he adjusted his clothes, his back still toward her. "I... have a lot to do before morning."

"Where are you going?" She cried as he walked to the door. "You can't just leave me like this!" Von Krolock stood in the doorway for a moment. He turned his head to the side as if to look back at her but his eyes never met hers.

"Good night, Anneliese." With that, he left her alone wondering what had just happened between them.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thank you for the latest reviews! BinJLG: I'm pretty sure this chapter will answer your question ;)

* * *

Anneliese lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. So much had just happened that she couldn't believe it hadn't all been a dream. Three days had passed since she lost her end of the bargain and all three days Von Krolock had spent locked up in his room healing from an attack. By Hans. Anneliese rubbed her eyes in an attempt to rid herself of the image of the horrible death; a horrible death she had indirectly inflicted upon him. She would have killed him herself if the Count hadn't stopped her but just because Hans had died at the hands of Von Krolock didn't make her any less guilty. She had asked... no, she had _begged_ him to kill Hans. She was responsible for his death but she didn't feel guilty. He had caused her so much pain and she didn't doubt for a moment that she hadn't been the only child he had hurt.

Then there was the way he had attacked Von Krolock. If he hadn't been a vampire, he would have been killed. She was certain Von Krolock wasn't the first person Hans had attacked and if they hadn't killed him tonight, he wouldn't have been the last. She wasn't about to forget any part of his murder any time soon but the one thing that stood out to her the most was what Von Krolock had said to Hans. She had expected his rage toward Hans to be over his attack but it seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind. She almost wondered if he had done it in her defense, but she wouldn't allow herself to believe it.

With a sigh, Anneliese rolled over and buried her face in her pillow to block out the light as the sun slowly began to rise. She instantly regretted it, however, when images began to flash through her mind. Not images of Hans, but images of what had happened after with the Count. It had been the last thing she expected to happen during her first encounter with him after losing her bargain. She was so certain she would be dead by now, or at the least, locked away in a sealed-off room suffering through an agonizing change. But not this. Not... Anneliese shivered at the thought of his tongue all over her skin; his fangs scraping dangerously but never breaking her skin. She thought about the way he had moved between her legs and the warmth of her arousal returned as she began to wonder what it would be like to have him there again without all their clothes in the way.

"Stop this!" She scolded herself. "Stop this right now!" She turned her pillow over and sighed over the coolness of it. Closing her eyes, she tried to keep her mind clear until she finally fell asleep.

-.-.-.-.-

"Anneliese? Wake up, Anneliese..." She rolled over onto her side and tried to ignore his voice, even when she felt him lift the blankets and climb into the bed behind her but when his lips and tongue attacked the side of her neck she moaned.

"What..."

"I need you," he whispered against her ear. "I need you so much..." She felt his hands roughly pull at the hem of her nightgown until it was at her hips and she gasped when she felt the coldness of his skin push up against her. His hand slid around the curve of her thigh until his fingers found the dampness between her legs. Anneliese relaxed completely as he touched her and eventually she found herself on her back with the vampire between her legs. She felt him brush against her entrance then suddenly, without any warning, the room was filled with the sounds of their moans as he thrust his hips against her, filling her completely. Von Krolock buried his face against her neck, moaning her name over and over again. He continued to move against her, never slowing down and it wasn't long before Anneliese felt an orgasm approaching for the second time that night. With a final thrust, they were both pushed over the edge but when Anneliese felt Von Krolock's fangs plunge deep into her neck as he came, she awoke with a scream only to find herself completely alone in her bed, sunlight flooding through the broken window into her room.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese was halfway down the stairs before she saw Von Krolock kneeling in one corner of the foyer with his back toward her. She crept slowly down the rest of the stairs and over to the vampire. She stopped just behind him to peek over his shoulder. He was holding a large piece of a vase she had broken. Koukol had cleaned up the mess the day after she had made it but he must have missed this particular piece.

"It belonged to my mother," he said softly. "It was all I had left of her."

"I know it won't fix anything but I am sorry. I lost control of myself and I just went too far." Anneliese knelt down behind him. "I really am sorry, Your Excellency." She hesitantly reached out to him and when he didn't turn around, she placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt his muscles tense momentarily but they relaxed when she gently massaged him, moving her hand down over his shoulder blade then back to his shoulder. He remained silent for a few minutes; Anneliese was about to get up and leave him be when she felt his cold fingers slide over her hand. "I am sorry," she said again. "I- Ouch! Your Excellency! You're hurting me!" Von Krolock squeezed Anneliese's fingers between his own.

"You're sorry," he muttered. "I'll make you sorry..." Von Krolock spun around on his knees and before Anneliese could react, she found herself on her back, pinned to the floor by the Count with his knees on either side of her hips and his hands holding her wrists above her head. He bared his fangs and went for her neck but stopped just before he could bite her. He inhaled deeply and when he exhaled she could feel his breath against her neck. Anneliese closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, praying he would kill her and do it fast. She would rather die than be turned into a vampire.

But Von Krolock didn't bite her. Instead he moved to look directly into her eyes, their faces mere inches apart and suddenly Anneliese was reminded of what they had done the previous night and the dream that had followed. With his body so close against hers again she felt a pleasurable ache begin between her legs and she blushed ferociously, hoping he wasn't reading her thoughts at that very moment. Von Krolock continued to stare into her eyes for what felt like hours to Anneliese before he released her wrists and sat up on his knees.

"Just do it," she whimpered. "I lost. Just kill me now and get it over with." Anneliese flinched when Von Krolock moved his hand to touch her, placing his fingers against her flushed cheek and stroking it gently with his thumb. He stared down at her with his jaw set firmly, his eyes completely unreadable. With a sigh he stood up and walked toward the crypt door. Anneliese pushed herself into a sitting position screamed at him, pounding her fists against the floor. "Von Krolock!"

"Dinner will be ready in half an hour. I expect you to be on time tonight," he said flatly before disappearing under the stairs. Anneliese put her head in her hands and groaned. She'd never been so confused in her entire life as she was at that moment. Count von Krolock was a vampire; he was an evil monster that killed for pleasure. At least that's what she thought when she first arrived at the castle but the more she saw of him, the less certain she became.

He had had a mother and Anneliese could tell by the way he had spoken of her and the way he had been caressing the shard of porcelain that he had loved her very much. She couldn't believe that any being that could love someone like that was capable of killing others purely for their own entertainment. The way he had killed Hans had been brutal but she was certain he had done it in her defense. If not hers, then for all the other girls he had hurt. If Von Krolock was the monster she had once believed him to be, surely he wouldn't have cared.

These thoughts did little to ease her fear of him, however. He had murdered the Frenchman, after all. The man had done nothing wrong yet Von Krolock took his life away, claiming it was to protect his family. He had made a show of it to scare her but his actions after the killing made her think he hadn't enjoyed it like he wanted her to believe. She knew he had been crying. He had tried to hide it but she was sure of it and she wondered what must have been going on inside him to bring on such a sudden change in his emotions.

Another thing that was confusing her was the fact that it was now four days since she had lost her bet with him and she was still alive. She had been so sure he was going to kill her the very moment her seven days were up but not only was she still alive, but she was unharmed. Granted, most of the first three days Von Krolock was locked away healing from his injuries but he could have easily bitten her at any time. Even at his weakest she knew she was no match for him. He had nearly bitten her just now but he had stopped himself so easily that she couldn't help but think he hadn't intended to hurt her... that it had only been a warning. A warning for what, she wasn't sure. It could have been because he was upset over the damage she had caused, but she had a feeling it was because she had touched him.

She had only touched him a few times since she had been at the castle. The first two she had hurt him and naturally he had retaliated. Other times she had tried to touch him in a more friendly manner and each time he had pulled away or snapped at her. The first time he had seemed so allowing... so _welcoming _of her touch was when she had offered him the blood from her cut wrist. She had rubbed his back and he didn't just let her do it, he seemed to enjoy it.

Then there was last night. The mere thought of what they had done caused her to blush. Von Krolock had been in total control the whole time. That is until she had found the courage to return his affections-if that was what she could even call it-by kissing his neck. She had been so close and he had seemed to have been in control of himself but the moment she had kissed him... it was all over. It was as if he had been driven to a point where he was unable to handle such an affectionate action and she wondered when the last time was that anyone had so freely given him such attention.

Anneliese jumped a little when she heard the chime of the grandfather clock and was surprised to find she had spent an entire thirty minutes lost within her own thoughts. She jumped to her feet and hurried to the dining room. She hadn't dined with the Count in a about a week so she was taken by surprise when she saw him seated at the head of the table once again with his usual glass and wine bottle.

"Your Excellency," she said, trying to hide her surprise. Von Krolock stood, motioned to her chair and took his seat once again once Anneliese had taken her own. "I wish you would tell me what it is you plan on doing with me," she said as soon as she was seated. Von Krolock leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes.

"And I wish you would just keep your mouth shut tonight," he muttered.

"One minute you are on top of me threatening-"

"Anneliese..."

"-to bite me and-"

"That's enough, Anneliese," Von Krolock warned.

"-the next minute you are on top of me-"

"That is enough!" Von Krolock sat upright and glared at Anneliese but she wasn't ready to back down.

"I just wish you would-"

"Wish I would what?" He rose slowly from his seat, leaning forward to stand over Anneliese. "Do you wish I would get it over with and kill you right now?" He hissed. Shrinking back into her chair in an effort to back away from him, she quickly shook her head. "Then what is it exactly you wish I would do, Anneliese? I'm dying to know what it is I can do to please you," he said sarcastically. Unwanted images from her dream suddenly entered her mind; images of the Count climbing into her bed and then climbing on top of her, his hands exploring every inch of her body. The grin that had formed on Von Krolock's face quickly disappeared and he sat down in his seat again, keeping his eyes glued to his drink. "Eat your dinner before it gets cold."

"All I want to know is what you want from me," Anneliese said softly. When Von Krolock didn't respond she slid her hand slowly over the table and placed her fingers over his. "I feel I at least deserve to be told."

"I was wondering why it was so quiet in here!" Herbert strode into the dining room and Von Krolock quickly pulled his hand away from Anneliese's. Herbert sat in a chair opposite Anneliese and looked at her then at his father. "Am I... interrupting something?"

"Of course not," Von Krolock snapped.

"The two of you always end up fighting," Herbert said, "so when I didn't hear shouting or dishes breaking I wondered if I should come in and check on you or if I should just give you some privacy." Herbert gave Anneliese a wink causing her to blush. Von Krolock sighed.

"What do you want, Herbert?"

"Must you always think I want something, Father?" Von Krolock gave Herbert a warning younger vampire shrugged and went silent, but not for long. "It really is too quiet in here. Anneliese, for old time's sake..." Herbert pushed the candlestick in the middle of the table toward Anneliese. "There's still a vase in the back corner there that you didn't break yet." As soon as the words left his mouth, Von Krolock had pulled him to his feet and was pushing him toward the door.

"Get out," he snarled as he released his son's shirt and pushed him through the doorway. Herbert stumbled back and held up his hands defensively.

"It was just a joke!"

"It wasn't funny!" Von Krolock slammed the door shut between them and Herbert gave it a swift kick.

"What would you know?" He shouted through the door. "You're just a miserable, humorless old man!" Von Krolock waited until the sound of Herbert's footsteps faded away before turning to find Anneliese staring down at her hands which were in her lap.

"I am sorry about that little... outburst."

"It's alright. I deserved it," Anneliese replied softly and she jumped slightly when she suddenly felt a cold hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe," Von Krolock sighed. "Maybe not. You should finish your dinner. I have to go..."

"You're going out to find someone to bite, aren't you?" Anneliese asked as she stared down at the hand on her shoulder from the corner of her eye.

"You shouldn't ask such questions." Von Krolock pulled his hand away and slowly walked toward the door.

"I don't get it. I lost my bet with you, why don't you just bite me?" Von Krolock turned to face her again; he could see the wet trails her tears had left on her cheeks.

"Is that what you want?"

Anneliese shrugged and asked, "Since when do you care what I want?" Von Krolock stared at her silently for a moment and she wondered what he was thinking.

"Eat your dinner, Anneliese," he finally said. Anneliese sighed in frustration and wiped tears from her eyes but when she looked up again, Von Krolock was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

After having finished her dinner alone once again, Anneliese wandered through the long corridors of the castle in search of something to do. She had been hoping she would come across Herbert or Breda but they were nowhere to be found. Eventually she found herself in a hallway she was certain she hadn't been in before. It wasn't lit very well and the few doors there were were all closed. She tried each one to find them locked but when she reached the last door, she was about to try the handle when she heard a voice through the door. She leaned close to the door and though she recognized Von Krolock's voice, he was speaking too softly for her to hear his words. She was about to turn and leave but she froze when she thought she heard a second voice... a woman's voice.

Anneliese dropped to her knees and peered in through the keyhole. All she could see through the tiny opening was Von Krolock kneeling beside a bed. He was still for a short while and Anneliese wondered if she was simply hearing things. She was going to leave when suddenly a slender hand came into view, grabbing hold of Von Krolock's cape. _There is a woman in there! _Anneliese thought. She watched as Von Krolock stood and climbed slowly onto the bed. _He's going to bite her!_ Without another thought, Anneliese barged into the room with a scream.

"Get off of her!" She cried as she lunged toward the vampire. She tried to grab him in an effort to pull him away from the bed but Von Krolock was too quick for her and Anneliese found herself pinned against a wall, Von Krolock's face dangerously close to her own, his fangs bared. "Let her go..." she begged as she weakly struggled against the Count. "Let her go and bite me instead!" Von Krolock moved his face to her neck and Anneliese flinched when she felt the tip of his nose graze over her pulse.

"I can't do that," Von Krolock whispered against her neck.

"Yes, you can. I won't fight, I promise," Anneliese whimpered. "Just let her go..."

"No." Von Krolock pulled away and pointed to the woman lying on the bed. "If I let her go she will die." Anneliese looked at her and realized right away what was happening: she was in the process of changing. She could see at least four different bite marks on her neck. She was pale and sweaty and though her eyes were open, she seemed completely oblivious to what was going on around her. "Feel free to have a seat if you'd like." He turned toward the bed but Anneliese grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Do you really believe I am going to just sit here and... _watch_?" Anneliese's disgust made Von Krolock chuckle.

"Isn't that why you are here?" he asked.

"I came in here to try to save her!"

"I've told you it's too late for that yet you're still here, aren't you?" Anneliese opened her mouth but quickly closed it when she realized she had no idea how to respond. "Of course, it's just as I expected," he laughed. "Now please sit down and keep quiet. I-"

"What do you mean it's just as you expected?" Anneliese grabbed his arm again before he could turn away.

"The door was unlocked, was it not?"

"It was, but-"

"Do you believe I would be so careless to just leave the door unlocked if I had wanted to be left alone?"

"You... _wanted _me to come in?" Just then the woman groaned and shifted in the bed.

"I have to finish this." Anneliese was startled by the sudden hoarseness of Von Krolock's voice. "Go or stay, it's up to you." Anneliese watched as Von Krolock turned back to the woman lying on the bed. He removed his cape and knelt down beside her again and as he whispered something to her, Anneliese slowly backed away. When she bumped into the chair she dropped limply into it as she watched the scene before her.

Von Krolock spoke so softly to the woman in the bed that Anneliese couldn't hear what he was saying. His lips moved against her ear and every so often the light from the gas lamp would catch on one of his fangs. He was caressing the woman's neck as he spoke to her and eventually the woman reached for him again, blindly grasping the air until she finally clutched a lapel of his jacket in a shaky fist. She tried to speak but the only sound that came from her was a gasping sob as she struggled to pull Von Krolock closer to her and Anneliese thought back to what Herbert had told her. She couldn't imagine any amount of pain leaving her wanting to be bitten again as desperately as this woman seemed to want it.

Von Krolock gently removed the woman's hand from his jacket, whispered one last thing in her ear and slowly climbed onto the bed, placing his knees on either side of her hips and bending over her. Resting his weight on one arm he combed through her hair a few times before knotting his fingers tightly within her curls and pulling her head to the side, completely exposing her neck.

Anneliese didn't want to watch what was about to happen but at the same time she couldn't pull her eyes away. She expected the woman to scream and fight back. She expected Von Krolock to tear into her, spilling her blood all over the place, but she had been wrong. From where she sat, Anneliese couldn't see Von Krolock bite into the woman's neck but she knew it had happened when the woman gasped and arched her back, pushing her body against his. The Count was silent and still while he drank from her and instead of trying to push him away, the woman grabbed his shoulders and held onto him tightly as if she was afraid he would leave her.

Barely a minute had passed before it was over. Anneliese thought Von Krolock would leave then but instead he lay down on the bed with her, half of his body still on top of her as she was still holding him tightly. Anneliese could see some blood on his mouth and chin but there was no blood gushing from the woman's neck as she had expected. Her breathing was slightly labored but the pain that had earlier been etched upon her face had disappeared and she now looked almost peaceful.

Von Krolock began to whisper to her again and when the woman sighed and smiled a little, Anneliese felt a sudden twinge of jealousy. The Count returned his attention to her neck and as he slowly licked the wound he had inflicted he released her hair and slid his hand down her neck and over one breast. He allowed his hand to linger there for a bit and Anneliese flushed as she recalled the way he had touched her own the previous night. She gazed at his hand until something inside her made her look up at his face to find that he was staring at her. When their eyes met his bloody lips spread into a grin. Anneliese quickly looked away and Von Krolock returned his attention to the woman beside him, moving his hand down over the her stomach and to her hip. He held her this way for a few minutes until he had cleaned all the blood away from her neck. When he was through, he sat up, forcing the woman to let go of him.

Anneliese watched with curiosity as he brought one of his wrists up to his mouth and gasped when he sliced through a vein with his fang. She had forgotten this part of the process. She wished she had left when she had the chance; she wanted to leave at that moment but she couldn't find it within herself to move. Once blood was flowing freely from Von Krolock's wrist he quickly placed it over the woman's mouth and Anneliese's stomach turned. Not only was the woman allowing this to happen, she was welcoming it. She latched onto his wrist, taking hold of his arm with both hands, and drank. Von Krolock lay down again beside her and completely relaxed, his eyes closing and a content sigh escaping his lips. A little of his blood dripped from the corners of the woman's mouth and Anneliese finally had to look away. Her stomach couldn't handle any more.

With her elbows on her knees, she leaned forward in her chair and rested her head in her hands. She didn't know how long she sat like this before she heard movement and felt Von Krolock's hand on her shoulder. "Is she a vampire now?" She asked him softly, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Not yet..." Anneliese's eyes drifted shut and a light shiver ran through her body as the Count's breath tickled her ear. "Soon. Another day or two."

"Is she-" Her words were cut off by a sigh when the tip of Von Krolock's tongue grazed her earlobe. "-in pain?"

"Not anymore. She will sleep for a while now. You look pale..." He placed a cool hand against her forehead. "Are you feeling unwell?" Von Krolock pulled Anneliese to her feet then sat down in the chair and pulled her onto his lap. Anneliese didn't feel well enough to try and fight it so she let it happen. "Did you not enjoy what you just saw?"

"No, I didn't enjoy it at all," she snapped.

"Don't deny it, Anneliese." Before she could respond Von Krolock placed a hand over her breast and lightly massaged it. "I saw the look in your eyes when I touched her," he whispered.

"I meant the way she drank your blood!" Anneliese pushed his hand away. "It made me sick!"

"So you did enjoy watching me touch her," he said. He cupped her breast again and pinched her nipple gently through her clothes causing her to gasp.

"No," she whimpered. "I didn't say that. That's not what I..." Anneliese's voice drifted off as Von Krolock continued to rub her breast. He leaned in and kissed her lips softly.

"Close your eyes," he whispered against her mouth and she complied. He pulled away for just a moment but when he kissed her again and slid his tongue into her mouth, she moaned at the honey-sweet taste of it. "Would you like more?" He asked as he pulled out of the kiss. Anneliese nodded weakly and watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he licked some blood away from his wrist.

"What are you-?" She tried to pull away as Von Krolock kissed her again but when she tasted the same sweetness on his tongue she sighed and relaxed against him. Eventually the taste of his blood wore off and Von Krolock tried to break the kiss but Anneliese refused.

"Anneliese," Von Krolock sighed against her kiss. "We have to stop." He gripped her shoulders almost painfully to try and push her off of him but his fingers loosened as she kissed her way over his jaw and down his neck.

"No, no..." she groaned against him. "I don't want to stop." She laced the fingers of one hand through his long hair and caressed the side of his face with the other. Von Krolock's eyes drifted shut as she touched him and he slowly began to relax in her arms.

"We have... to stop..." he whispered hoarsely. Anneliese kissed the delicate spot below his ear before licking his earlobe, causing him to moan.

"I need you, Your Excellency," she whispered into his ear; she shifted on his lap and he moaned again as her backside rubbed against his hardening member. "Please... After last night I-" Von Krolock gave Anneliese a hard shove and she cried out in pain and shock when she hit the floor. Von Krolock rose from the chair and tried to leave but Anneliese grabbed his leg.

"Let go," he growled.

"Don't leave me," she whimpered, her face resting against his knee. "Please, not again. I need you..."

"You don't know what you are saying." He grabbed her arms and pried her off of his leg. He tried to walk away but she reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him down to her level on the floor.

"I need you," she repeated and she leaned in to kiss him. Von Krolock pushed her away and she fell backward, hitting her head on the iron leg of the bed frame.

"Anneliese!" Von Krolock scrambled over to her and tried to pull her into his arms but she backed away from him.

"I'm fine... I'm fine!" She said in a shaky voice as she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry..." She pulled herself to her feet and once she was steady enough to move she tried to walk to the door but Von Krolock stood before her. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me," she said with a forced laugh.

"Anneliese..." Von Krolock took her head in his hands and forced her to look at him. His face was stern but there was no anger there. He stared at her silently for a few moments before finally saying, "I'm sorry." Anneliese placed a hand over his and turned her head slightly to kiss his palm. He allowed her to do this longer than she expected but it was still too soon when he pulled away. "You should leave now," he said as he guided her to the door and back out into the hall. "Good night, Anneliese."

"Your Excellency..." Anneliese spun around to face him again but he quickly closed the door and locked it. Anneliese stared at the door half expecting... half _hoping_ Von Krolock would open it again but he never did. "What am I doing?" She asked herself as she slowly headed downstairs to find something to keep her busy for the rest of the night. "I don't want this. I don't want _him_." She walked into the library, picked up a random book and sat down in her favorite chair. She opened the book but her thoughts kept her distracted from the words on the pages.

She was being held against her will in the castle by a vampire who had threatened to kill her; she shouldn't want him the way she did... but the situation wasn't that simple. It seemed that for every terrible thing Von Krolock had done, he had also done something almost... kind, and while she knew nothing could excuse the way he had treated her she couldn't help but feel there was some explanation for it. She believed that while he directed his anger toward her, she wasn't the actual cause of it. If he truly hated her she would have been dead days ago. Now she wasn't even sure what he planned on doing with her.

There was still a lot of anger within him but he seemed to be changing as if he was making an effort to keep from hurting her. Instead of biting her or killing her as he had threatened to do, he hadn't laid a hand on her with the intentions of hurting her. On the contrary, the only times he had even really touched her was when he... Anneliese shifted uncomfortably in her dress as the thought of the way Von Krolock had touched her made her feel strangely warm. Setting the book aside, Anneliese leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes and eventually her thoughts were replaced by dreams.

_Anneliese rolled over beneath the blankets and pushed herself against the Count as he wrapped his arms around her. She could tell he was speaking as she felt the vibrations within his chest against the side of her face but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She asked him to repeat himself but as she listened, all she could hear was the sound of his heart. The slow, steady rhythm of it made her feel drowsy but just as she began to drift off she felt one of his cold hands slide gently over the curves of her naked body. When he reached her neck, he slid his hand up behind her head, knotted his fingers within her hair and gave a gentle, pleasurable tug. Anneliese allowed her head to tilt back and when she did Von Krolock's lips were instantly against her own. He kissed her, long and leisurely, before he pulled away and began planting soft kisses all over her face. She felt his fingers stroke her cheek and she sighed, "Your Excellency..."_

"...but I can get him for you if you'd like." Anneliese's eyes fluttered open to find Herbert standing over her, stroking her cheek.

"What?" She asked drowsily.

"I said Father isn't here but I can get him for you if y-"

"What are you doing here?" Anneliese pushed Herbert's hand away and quickly sat up.

"I came to see if you were alright. The way you were moaning I thought you were having a bad dream but once you started talking in your sleep I realized it was anything but bad," Herbert chuckled.

"Talking in my...?" It took a moment for Anneliese to fully register what Herbert was saying and when it did she gasped. "What did I say?"

Herbert took a deep breath and with long sigh said, "Your Excellency," raising his voice to a pitch to match Anneliese's.

"I... I did not!"

"Yes, you did!" Herbert squeezed himself into the chair with Anneliese and draped an arm across her shoulders. "So tell me," he whispered, "what were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing," Anneliese muttered. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Was it about Father?" Anneliese clenched her jaw.

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Ahhh!" A wide grin spread across Herbert's face. "So it _was_ about Father!"

"Good night, Herbert." Anneliese and headed out of the library, ignoring Herbert as he called out to her wanting to know more about her dream. She couldn't admit what had happened in it to herself, let alone to the son of the man she had dreamt about.


	18. Chapter 18

Early the next night Anneliese headed back to her room not long after waking up in an effort to avoid Von Krolock. He was in a terrible mood. She had witnessed his run-ins with Herbert and a few other vampires and none of them had done anything to deserve the treatment they received from him. She had no desire to experience his wrath first-hand this evening. When she returned to her room she smiled when she saw Breda sitting on her bed.

"Are you hiding too?" Anneliese asked and Breda smiled. "He is in quite a rotten mood this evening," Anneliese said as she sat down on the bed beside the vampire. "This is bad even for him." She continued to talk for a while, asking question after question hoping Breda would answer at least one of them with something other than a nod or a smile, but she never did. She was about to suggest they go somewhere else when Von Krolock's voice thundered through the halls as he yelled at another unsuspecting vampire. "I know..." Anneliese went to her armoire and pulled out a dark green dress. "We can try finding you a new dress again." She held the dress out toward Breda but Breda shook her head and looked down at the floor. "I saw Herbert leave not long ago," she told the vampire, "so he won't come in and disrupt us again. And if Von Krolock has a problem with you having the dress I will take full responsibility for it."

Anneliese helped Breda try on a few dresses until they finally found one that Breda liked the most. "This looks beautiful on you," she said as she knelt down to lace up Breda's shoes. "And if Von Krolock has a problem with the fact I've given this to you then I'll-"

"You will what?" Von Krolock's voice startled Anneliese and Breda and they looked to see him leaning against the door frame."

Nothing, Your Excellency," Anneliese said quickly. "I just-"

"Why would I have a problem with you giving Breda a dress?"

"Herbert said you-"

"Herbert," Von Krolock scoffed. He bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "After all this time you still listen to what Herbert says?" Anneliese stared at him, unsure of how to respond. "Of course you may give Breda a dress. Give her as many as you wish." Von Krolock looked at Breda and smiled. "You always did look beautiful in that color." Breda brushed past Anneliese as she ran over to Von Krolock and hugged him before she hurried out of the room.

"Why doesn't she speak?" When Von Krolock looked at Anneliese she worried for a moment that she shouldn't have asked him but her fears were relieved when he spoke.

"She can't."

"Why not? Was she born that way? Did something happen to her?"

"Sometimes..." Von Krolock sighed and rubbed his temple. "Sometimes you ask too many questions. Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Will you be there?" Anneliese wasn't sure why she asked but she was even more unsure as to why she felt disappointed when he shook his head.

"Not tonight."

"Your Excellency?"

"You should get ready." Without giving her a chance to say anything else, Von Krolock walked out of the room leaving her alone.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese ate her dinner fast that night eager to speak with Herbert before he left for the night as he did every night. She moved quickly from room to room until she came across him in what she assumed was his own bedroom. "Tell me about Breda," she said as she barged into the room.

"What, no _Hello, Hebert_, _how are you this evening_?" He asked lazily, setting aside the book he was reading.

"Who is she?" Anneliese ignored his sarcasm and sat down beside him.

"Ask Father."

"I can't. He's not in a very good mood this evening," she said. Herbert giggled.

"When is he ever in a good mood?"

"Please, Herbert. Tell me who Breda is." Herbert looked at her for a minute or two before finally answering.

"She's my father's sister."

"His sister?" Anneliese couldn't believe it. Breda looked much younger than Von Krolock, almost as if she could have been his own daughter. "How did she-"

"Father bit her," Herbert said. "She was sixteen when it happened. She was one of the first people he had ever bitten so he didn't have the control he has now. She fared much better than his first-he ended up killing her completely-but with Breda he just... bit too hard. He managed to change her but she was never able to speak again after that."

"How awful..."

"Anyway..." Herbert took Anneliese's hand and led her out of the room. "If you don't mind I'm really in no mood for guests tonight." He slammed the door and Anneliese sighed. _All anyone does around here is slam doors shut in my face_, she thought. She walked down the hall a little ways hoping she would come across Breda until she reached the door she knew led into Von Krolock's room. It was slightly ajar and she peeked inside to find the Count sitting in a chair, leaning forward with his head in his hands.

"Go away, Anneliese," he muttered, but she entered the room anyway.

"Are you alright, Your Excellency?" Anneliese remained near the door, afraid to get any closer to Von Krolock. He looked over at her and she was shocked to see how tired he looked.

"I'm fine." He spoke loudly and flinched at the sound of his own voice. "Go away." He leaned forward again and rubbed his temples. Anneliese slowly approached him until she was beside his chair where she knelt down.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "You look ill..." Von Krolock chuckled then groaned and rubbed his head a bit more firmly.

"What makes you say that?" He asked in a rough voice. "I certainly don't have a fever. Could it be how pale I look? I'm dead. Of course I look ill."

"That isn't what I meant," Anneliese replied softly.

"It's just a headache. It will pass. Now please, go away."

"Do you have any paracetamol? Or maybe some willow bark. Are there any willow trees outside?" Von Krolock leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"Medication doesn't have any effect on us," he sighed. Anneliese thought for a moment and stood up.

"I can help make it go away... if you will let me." Von Krolock opened his eyes and looked at her with suspicion.

"Why? What are you going to do?" Anneliese carefully moved behind the chair and placed her fingertips against his temples. The moment she touched him his entire body visibly tensed but as she moved her fingers in small, gentle circles he began to relax. "This isn't working," he grumbled and Anneliese had to stifle a laugh.

"I just started," she reminded him. "You need to close your eyes and relax." Anneliese brought her hands down to his shoulders and rubbed them for a moment before moving up but the second she touched his neck Von Krolock grabbed both her hands firmly.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

"I'm giving you a massage. If you want my help you're going to have to trust me." Von Krolock tilted his head back against the chair and looked up at Anneliese. When she smiled down at him he furrowed his brow and looked straight ahead again.

"I don't trust anyone," he said quickly.

"Then go ahead and suffer. What do I care?" Anneliese tried to pull away but Von Krolock held her hands firmly so she couldn't leave.

"No... Continue." He released her hands and Anneliese resumed the massage, working her fingers slowly up his neck. When she reached his hairline just behind his ears he sighed. Looking down at him, Anneliese saw his eyes drift shut but only for a moment before he opened them again. Slowly she worked her way over his entire scalp, running her fingertips through his hair in tiny circles until they reached his temples again.

"Please, Your Excellency, you need to relax," she whispered. "You need to close your eyes."

"Why do you care?" He snapped, startling Anneliese, and she pulled her hands away. "Why are you offering to help? What exactly do you want from me? I'm not letting you go..."

"I never expected you would." Anneliese wanted to leave but she couldn't force herself to move and she remained standing behind the chair.

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Must there always be a reason? You're in pain and I just wanted to help you. I must be mad to think you would actually let me do such a thing."

"Alright," Von Krolock sighed. "But if you try anything..." He shot her a warning glance.

"I won't, Your Excellency. I promise." Von Krolock sighed again and relaxed in his chair. She placed her fingers over his temples again and again Von Krolock tensed briefly then relaxed. She slowly moved her fingers along his scalp the way she had done before and this time, by the time she reached his temples again, his eyes were closed.

"That feels nice..." Von Krolock spoke so softly that Anneliese wondered if he even realized he had said it out loud. Releasing his temples she combed through his silky dark and silver hair, gently scratching his scalp with her nails. Von Krolock sighed and sunk deeper into the chair so she continued this motion over and over until she realized his breathing had slowed and he was still. He had fallen asleep.

"Your Excellency?" No response came and she lowered her head and whispered near his ear. "Von Krolock?" The Count didn't move. Anneliese stared at him for a bit; she had never been so close to him without being in a position where her life was in danger so for the first time she was able to get a good look at him. His smooth skin was quite pale compared to her own, the only color being the purplish-black circles beneath his closed eyes.

She admired his handsome profile for a short while before moving to look at him straight on. His dark eyebrows were perfectly arched and being this close to him she couldn't help but notice how long his eyelashes were. His eyes moved slightly beneath his lids and she wondered if he was dreaming... wondered if, being a vampire, he even _could_ dream. Her eyes trailed over his face taking in every detail and she realized how peaceful he looked. When he was awake he always looked so stern and angry but now as he slept, all the lines in his face had disappeared. She couldn't help but wonder how he must look when he smiled out of pure happiness without all the sarcasm and anger that his smiles usually held.

She looked down to see that he had removed his cravat and had undone the top buttons of his shirt. He wasn't wearing his jacket and his waistcoat was completely unbuttoned. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and eventually she found herself focused on the spot where his heart was. Recalling the dream she had she gingerly placed her hand on his chest and shivered. She had forgotten about the fact their hearts stopped beating once they turned into a vampire.

Suddenly she thought about the way Von Krolock had killed the vampire that had attacked her; the way he had thrust the fire poker through its heart. Looking around the room she saw a writing desk in one corner and as she approached it she noticed the gold letter opener upon it. She picked it up and turned it around in her hands, examining it closely. She touched the tip of it to test its sharpness and wondered how easily it would pierce through flesh and muscle; wondered what would happen if she missed and it struck a rib.

Anneliese returned to Von Krolock's side and stared down at him as he slept. She ran her fingers down along her own chest, counting each rib until she reached her heart. Setting the letter aside she carefully unbuttoned Von Krolock's shirt and pulled it aside to expose his chest to her. Praying he wouldn't wake up, she placed her fingertips on his collar bone. He sighed at the contact and Anneliese froze, expecting him to wake up and attack her once he realized what she was about to do, but he remained fast asleep. She counted her way down his ribs until she found the space where his heart should be then she picked up the letter opener. Squeezing the handle tightly within her fist, she raised it in the air above her head.

"I can't do it..." she whispered with a sob and dropped her arm to her side. "I can't do it..." _You have to! _She told herself. _If you want to get out of here alive, you have to do it! Now! _Anneliese held the letter opener a few inches above Von Krolock's chest and took a deep breath to steady herself. _Do it... Go on... Save yourself, Anneliese. Kill him. _She raised her hand above her head once again but before she could summon the strength to stab him, she found herself looking at his face. "No... I can't do it," she said. She didn't know why; more than anything she wanted to get away from him but as she watched him sleep she couldn't see a brutal, angry vampire. He had a family and while he didn't seem to be able to show it, Anneliese knew he loved them. She saw it in his face when Breda had hugged him. As long as Von Krolock still had the ability to feel such tender human emotions, she believed there had to be a way to save herself without resorting to killing him.

Anneliese released her grip on the letter opener, allowing it to fall at her feet. "I'm sorry," she whimpered as she wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry..." She hurried out of the room, never noticing that Von Krolock was sitting up and watching her.


	19. Chapter 19

Anneliese sat on the bench in the courtyard and cried. She knew it wasn't the safest place to be at night but there had been no movement among the gravestones and she desperately needed some fresh air so she chose the bench closest to the door figuring she'd be safe there. She felt terrible for what she had almost done to Von Krolock. She knew she shouldn't after all he had done to her, but she had promised she wouldn't try to harm him. She had gained enough of his trust that he had actually fallen asleep and she almost killed him. Even if she tried to ignore these feelings for Von Krolock, she couldn't ignore Herbert and Breda. Von Krolock was their family-probably the only family they had-and she couldn't bare the thought of taking him away from them in such a cold and calculated way.

She almost began to wish that he would attack her; if she fought back and killed him she could live with herself knowing she had no choice. Of course she knew if he attacked her chances were he would bite or kill her but even then at least the waiting would be over. It was not knowing what it was he wanted from her that was killing her. Anneliese looked up when she heard a twig snap behind her but before she could turn around she was pushed from the bench and she fell face down onto the grass. She thought it was Herbert playing a trick on her and she was about to yell at him but when she was forced onto her back and she saw the creature that was on top of her, she screamed.

This thing was in an even worse state than the first vampire that had attacked her. It seemed to have no skin, let alone any hair on its head, and for an instant she was reminded of an Egyptian mummy that had been on display by a sideshow that had passed through her village when she was little. What little skin it did have was dry and stretched over its yellowed bones. Its eyes were yellow as well and covered with a sick hazy film. All its features were gone; it was as if she was face to face with a skull.

Anneliese tried to scream for help but the vampire clamped its rotting hand over her mouth to silence her. She screamed against it hoping someone would still hear her. She kicked and struggled against it as it lay itself down on top of her but even though it was nothing more than dead skin and bones she felt as if someone had placed a ton of bricks upon her. The vampire forced her head painfully to the side and she began to scream so loudly she could taste blood in the back of her throat. She couldn't believe it was happening all over again, but it was her own fault. If she had only listened to Herbert...

From the corner of her eye Anneliese could see the vampire open its lipless mouth wide. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for someone to find her before it was too late but when she felt its razor sharp fangs sink deep into her neck her eyes flew open from the shock of the pain and she screamed against its hand again. She could feel the pressure against her neck as it sucked her blood into its slimy mouth and instantly the fiery pain she had felt after Von Krolock had bitten her began to spread through her body; first down her arms then down to her stomach and into her legs. She hit and clawed at the vampire but even as she tore off chunks of what was left of its flesh it did nothing to cause it to release her. Instead, the creature bit down harder and Anneliese screamed yet again.

It wasn't long at all before Anneliese became too weak to continue to fight against the vampire. She felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. She heard someone call out causing the vampire to let go but a wave of dizziness hit her and the next thing she knew the creature's headless body was lying on top of her. She tried to scream but she blacked out a second time. When she came to again she found herself in Herbert's arms being rushed through the castle's hallways. She lost consciousness again and by the time she awoke, she was lying in bed with a bandage around her neck. She looked around the room to find Herbert sitting at the table with his head resting on his folded arms.

"Herbert..." Anneliese flinched at the hoarseness of her voice. Herbert sat up to look at her and she could tell by his red eyes that he had been crying.

"What did I say?" He asked as he rose from the chair and walked toward her. "What did I tell you about being in the courtyard after sunset? I told you it wasn't safe, Anneliese!"

"I'm sorry," she cried softly. "I didn't think-"

"It's obvious you weren't thinking!" He snapped.

"I'm sorry..." Anneliese sobbed. Herbert sat down on the bed beside her and brushed her hair away from her face before placing his hand on her forehead. She couldn't help but notice how much colder his hand felt against her skin. "What is going to happen to me? Did that thing change me?"

"No. He only bit you once. It's not enough."

"So I'm going to be alright?" Herbert looked at her for a moment and sighed.

"I don't know..."

"What do you mean?"

"Your wound is infected. It looks pretty bad-"

"What do you mean infected?" Anneliese tried to sit up but the room began to spin around her and she fell back against her pillow.

"I tried to clean the bite but things like this happen with vampires in that condition," Herbert explained. "I did the best I could, Anneliese. I'm sorry."

"But I will be fine, won't I? I've had infections before. I'm strong and healthy... I'll be fine!" Anneliese tried to sit up again but Herbert forced her to remain lying down.

"You've been unconscious since you were bitten last night and you have a fever. Koukol went into the village to bring back some supplies but nothing has been helping."

"Am I going to die?" She whispered, not wanting to hear her own words.

"I honestly don't know. All we can do is wait it out. The sun will be up soon, Anneliese, I need to go now." Herbert readjusted the blankets covering Anneliese and walked to the door. "Koukol will be up shortly with some soup. Even if you don't feel hungry, try to eat alright?" Anneliese nodded but when Herbert left, she drifted back to sleep and was oblivious to everything that went on around for the next few days.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese groaned when she felt the icy hand against her cheek. She tried to pull away but it touched her again. She opened her eyes but they refused to focus so the figure sitting beside her was nothing but a blur. "Anneliese?" Even in her fog Anneliese recognized the voice as Von Krolock's.

"Hmm?" Her eyes began to drift shut but she forced them open when Von Krolock touched her forehead.

"It is impolite to touch things that do not belong to you." Anneliese tried to speak but the only sound she managed was a grunt. "I found this on my floor the other night." Tears formed at the corners of her eyes when Von Krolock held the gold letter opener before her. "Did you receive a letter?" Anneliese shook her head weakly. "No, of course you didn't," Von Krolock cooed as he stroked her hair. "So what could you have possibly needed this for?" Anneliese tried to respond but he placed a finger over her mouth to silence her. "Hush, you are too weak. You must eat something. Here..." She felt something touch her lips and when she parted them a small amount of broth was poured into her mouth.

Anneliese turned her head and allowed the liquid to spill from her mouth and onto her sheets. "Come now, Anneliese," Von Krolock sighed as he wiped her face with a napkin. "Look at the mess you've made. Have some more." She felt the spoon against her lips again and she turned away from it. "You really must eat something," Von Krolock said gently. He offered her the spoon but she refused it again.

"What did you put in it?" She rasped. "You're trying to poison me!"

"Poison you? Now why would I ever do such a thing?" Anneliese could tell just by his voice that he was smiling. "Why would I harm you after that lovely little massage you gave me? It did wonders for my headache. Now go on, eat up."

"No..." Anneliese whimpered. "Go away... leave me alone..." She rolled over onto her side to face away from him and fell back to sleep, never knowing if he had responded.

-.-.-.-.-

Breda watched Von Krolock from the other end of the hall, keeping silent and still so he wouldn't know she was there. He was standing at Anneliese's door; he had been standing there for quite a while and she was beginning to wonder whether he would go in or not. She had been in and out of consciousness all week and it had been days since he last went in to see her. She had no idea how long her brother stood there in the hallway before he finally stepped into Anneliese's bedroom. Once he was inside, Breda hurried over and carefully peeked around the door frame.

Von Krolock stood beside Anneliese's bed looking down at her before he reached down and touched her cheek. Breda saw how her hair stuck to the sides of her face and when her brother pulled the blankets away, she knew Anneliese's fever had finally broken. Her white nightgown was was drenched from her sweat and sticking to her body. When Von Krolock turned around, Breda stepped to the side behind the wall so as not to be seen. She heard him walk across the room followed by the sound of the armoire doors opening and closing. When she heard him walk back to the bed she looked into the room again.

Von Krolock's cape was draped over a chair and a fresh nightgown was resting on top of it. He had pulled Anneliese up to a sitting position yet she was still fast asleep, her head lolled to the side then back as Von Krolock moved her. He undid the few buttons on the front of her nightgown then grasped the hem of the gown and carefully pulled it up over her head and off of her body. He guided her back so that she was lying down with her legs hanging off the side of the bed and pulled a sheet over to cover her nude body. Turning around, he retrieved the clean nightgown from the chair then moved back to the bed and dressed her.

Once Anneliese was fully clothed again, Breda watched as Von Krolock removed the damp sheets from the bed, being careful to move Anneliese as little as possible so as not to wake her. He covered the bare mattress with the dry blanket and lied Anneliese down again. He grabbed his cape from the chair and Breda thought he was going to leave but instead he placed the garment over Anneliese then sat down on the bed beside her, leaning back against the headboard.

"What am I going to do with you?" He sighed softly as he wiped the sweat from her face with his handkerchief. "You didn't deserve any of this." Breda hid behind the wall again and prayed that her brother would do the right thing for Anneliese. "But I can't let you go, can I," Von Krolock said. "I can't risk the trouble it would bring to my family. But if I did let you go, maybe you wouldn't tell anyone. I see how fond you are of Herbert and Breda. I know you would rather die than lie to protect me-and I can't blame you for that-but would you do it for them?" Von Krolock sighed deeply and grew quiet for a few minutes. "What am I going to do with you, Anneliese?"


	20. Chapter 20

Anneliese moaned softly and pressed up against the body beside her, smiling at the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her. She started to drift off to sleep when the fact someone was in bed with her fully sunk in and she stifled a cry of surprise when she opened her eyes to find the Count fast asleep. After extracting herself from his hold, being careful not to wake him, she looked around the room. She knew she had been sick and she had vague memories of waking up a few times but she had no idea how long she had been out for. Looking around she saw the pile of bedding with a nightgown on top sitting in the corner. She recalled waking up for a few minutes feeling sweaty and uncomfortable and she realized her fever must have broken. Now she was in a dry nightgown sleeping under the Count's cape with the Count himself sleeping beside her.

"Did you do this?" She whispered, looking down at Von Krolock. She was suddenly overcome with the urge to lay down again and allow him to hold her for a little while longer but a spot of light against the wall caught her eye. She looked at the broken window and realized the sun was about to rise. In just a few minutes her room would be flooded with sunlight. She lowered her eyes to Von Krolock again and knew she had a choice to make.

Without considering the consequences of her actions, Anneliese climbed out of the bed and tugged on Von Krolock's arm. "Your Excellency," she said loudly, "you need to wake up." She pulled harder on his arm causing him to roll onto his back but he remained asleep. "Please, you must wake up!" She spoke even louder and pulled his arm again and when he still didn't wake up, she braced herself and pulled so hard he fell off of the bed and onto the floor. Von Krolock looked around in alarm and when he saw Anneliese he yelled.

"What do you think you're doing?" He tried to stand up but Anneliese continued to pull on his arm, dragging him across the room.

"It's morning! You can't be in here!"

"Would you let go of me! What are you talking about?" Von Krolock finally pried himself out of Anneliese's grasp and got to his feet only to have her grab hold of his shirt and pull him out of the room.

"The sun is rising," she told him hurriedly. "My window is broken. It lets in all the light." The realization of what Anneliese was saying suddenly hit Von Krolock and without a word he turned and fled to the safety of his own bedroom.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese stared at her reflection in the mirror. The recent bite marks had healed over and the infection had cleared up but her neck was still bruised from the attack. A night had passed since her fever had broken but it was only now that she felt well enough to get out of bed. No one but Koukol had come to her room since Von Krolock had left the previous morning and she was nervous about facing either of the two Von Krolocks again.

"You saved my father." The solemn voice came from behind her and Anneliese turned to find Herbert standing there. "He told me what happened... what you did for him."

"I did it for you and Breda," Anneliese said.

"Yes, well," he sighed, "it seems he appreciates it nonetheless."

"Because he loves you." Herbert lowered his eyes to the floor and was silent for a moment.

"Will you try to speak with him?" He asked when he looked at Anneliese again.

"Me? Why me?"

"He refuses to come out of his room." At the mention of Von Krolock's room Anneliese recalled the night she had tried to kill him. She thought she had dreamed that he had come to her room with the letter opener while she was sick but now she knew it had been real. He knew what she had done and she couldn't bare to face him again.

"No, I can't," she said quickly. "I'm sure he doesn't want to see me anyway."

"You are the reason he's even in there, Anneliese."

"That's not true..." Anneliese turned back to the mirror just so she wouldn't have to look at Herbert any longer.

"He spent the night with you," he reminded her. "He left your room, went straight to his own and he hasn't come out since. Not even to eat."

"So? Let someone else do it!"

"Do you think we haven't tried? Only you know what happened that night and-"

"Nothing happened!" Anneliese spun around to face Herbert again, her fists clenched at her sides.

"_Something _had to have happened. I've never seen him behave the way he has since you have been here. I can assure you that he would have bitten any other girl by now. Please... go talk with him." Anneliese put her head in her hands and sighed.

"Fine. I'll do it." Herbert thanked her and left.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese stood at Von Krolock's bedroom door. She was about to knock but before she could she heard Von Krolock's voice through the door as he granted her permission to enter. Stepping inside the bedroom, Anneliese found Von Krolock with his back to her, sitting at his writing desk. There was a white quill in his hand, though he wasn't writing at the moment, and lying on the desk beside his hand was the gold letter opener.

"What can I do for your, Anneliese?"

"I'm so sorry, Your Excellency!" She blurted out. She had told herself she would remain calm but her will had completely left her when she saw the letter opener. Von Krolock turned around and looked at her with one eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"The letter opener..." Von Krolock looked down at the object on the desk then back at Anneliese. "I don't know what came over me that night. I swear it wasn't something I had planned. I just saw it there and I-"

"It's alright."

"What...?" Anneliese stared at him in disbelief. Von Krolock shook his head a little and smiled.

"I knew you didn't have it in you. Is that all you came here for?"

"No... No. I wanted..." Von Krolock's response had caught Anneliese so off guard that she struggled to remember why she had gone to see him in the first place. "Herbert asked me to speak with you." Von Krolock's smile disappeared at the mention of his son's name. "He is concerned about you."

"Yes, I'm sure he is." Von Krolock turned back to his desk. "Please tell him there is nothing to be concerned about. I am busy here so if that is all-"

"Why won't you come out of your room? Herbert said you haven't even come out to eat."

"I haven't been hungry," he muttered.

"Is it about what happened the other night?" Anneliese slowly made her way across the room until she was standing behind Von Krolock. "I realized what you had done to help me that night and I never got to thank you properly for it. I-"

"Yes, Anneliese!" Von Krolock stood up and turned on Anneliese so quickly she almost fell as she stumbled back a few steps. "It has everything to do with that night and every other night since you have been here!"

"I'm sorry, Your Ex-"

"Stop it!" Von Krolock reached for Anneliese and she flinched thinking he was going to hit her but instead he grabbed her shoulders and shook her firmly. "Stop apologizing to me! I don't deserve it!" He continued to shake her as he pushed her back across the room then shoved her against a wall so hard a nearby painting fell. "I should have killed you days ago!" He leaned in and Anneliese stifled a sob when she felt his lips against her neck. "I should do it right now," he growled. Anneliese tensed as she waited for him to bite her but all she felt was his cool breath on her skin. It was coming in quick pants but eventually it grew steady as he seemed to calm down.

"Yet I can't bring myself to do it," he finally said in a whisper. "I can't kill you... yet I can't let you go."

"You can!" Anneliese cried. "I won't tell anyone about you, I promise! Please let me go! You can't just keep me locked up here forever!" Von Krolock released her and took a step back.

"Can't I? Go on, get out." Von Krolock motioned to the door and walked back to his desk.

"You can't do this," she whimpered. "I need to know what you are going to do with me!" Von Krolock sat down in his chair, keeping his back to Anneliese.

"Trust me, Anneliese. Once I have decided, you will know."

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese spent the rest of the night keeping to herself. Herbert had tried to talk with her when she left Von Krolock's room and even offered to sit with her at dinner but she refused, taking dinner in her room alone, feeling upset that she had allowed him to talk her into going to see the Count. At the end of the night she had locked herself in the bathroom and soaked in tub of hot water for a while and when she returned to her room she found Breda waiting for her. The instant Anneliese saw her she burst into tears. Breda sat with her on the bed, stroking her hair and allowing her to cry, until she finally began to calm down.

"Why must he be so cruel?" She asked as she dried her face with a handkerchief. "Was he anything like this when he was human?" Breda shook her head. "Are you angry with him? For what he did to you...?" Breda thought for a moment then smiled and shook her head. "You love him very much, don't you?" Breda nodded. "I don't think he realizes it. I mean, he doesn't even believe his own son loves him." They sat quietly for a little while before Anneliese spoke again. "Breda? Do you think he will kill me?" Breda frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "I deserve it," Anneliese sighed. "I left my own baby out to die. I don't deserve to live..."

"Breda, you should return to your coffin. It will be morning soon." Breda gave Anneliese a hug good night and left. Anneliese kept her eyes on the floor and waited for Von Krolock to leave but he remained in the door way; she could feel him staring at her but she refused to look up at him. "Thank you for saving me," he said softly. "I know you did it for Breda and Herbert, but they are all that matter so... thank you. Good night, Anneliese."

"I did it for you as well," Anneliese replied as Von Krolock turned to leave. He stopped and looked back at her. "I did it for them," she said, looking him in the eye, "but I also did it for you." A faint smile formed on Von Krolock's face but as quickly as it appeared it was gone again. "Good night, Your Excellency." Von Krolock wished her a good night and left, closing the door behind him.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Glad to see people are still enjoying the story :) We're reaching the end now; I think there's one more chapter after this. I really hope you all enjoy it, especially this chapter. I enjoyed writing this scene the most.

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"Stop crowding me!" Herbert pushed Anneliese away with his elbow and shot her a nasty look before returning to his magazine.

"But Herbert," Anneliese whined as she tried to get close to him, "it's so hot in here! Sitting next to you is like sitting next to a block of ice! Please let me sit here for just a while longer..." Herbert pushed her away again.

"No. Go take a cold bath." Anneliese sighed with defeat and flopped back against the arm of the sofa.

"It's too hot. All that work to fill the tub... I can't be bothered!"

"Koukol will do it."

"I already asked him." Anneliese tugged at her dress, wishing she could just take it off. "He said he is busy. He doesn't like me."

"Really. I can't imagine why..." Herbert yawned and flipped a page in his magazine.

"Oh Herbert, please! It's just too hot tonight. I can't stand it! Just let me lay against you for a while."

"There's a lake out back. Why don't you go drown yourself in it?" Herbert muttered. "Anything to stop your incessant complaints."

"A lake?" Anneliese sat up and clutched Herbert's arm. "Will you take me to it?"

"You've just gotten over being ill. I don't think you should be going for a swim." Herbert pulled his arm out of Anneliese's grasp and returned his attention to what he was reading.

"I feel fine now. Please... It's stifling in here. This heat is killing me!" Herbert sighed and set his magazine down on a side table.

"You know I can't take you outside," he told her. "It's against Father's rules."

"Your father and his stupid rules," Anneliese mumbled as she got to her feet. "I bet you don't even realize how lucky you are to be so cool in the summer. You've probably forgotten what it's like to feel as though you're being baked in an oven in this heat."

"Where are you going?" Herbert asked as he watched her walk out of the room.

"To my room where I can suffer in peace!" Herbert laughed and picked up a new magazine.

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese lay spread eagle on the bed-unable to stand the feel of her own sweaty skin-in her camisole and pantalets and stared at the ceiling. The sudden heat wave was unbearable; even the broken window in her bedroom offered no relief. It wasn't long before she became drowsy but just as she started to fall asleep she heard someone walk into the room.

"Doesn't anyone around here ever kno- Oh..." Anneliese sat up and pulled a sheet over herself. "Your Excellency."

"Herbert said you were interested in going down to the lake."

"Just to cool off," she replied quickly. "I swear I wasn't going to try to escape. I don't think I would make it very far anyway. It's too hot to run. It's too hot to do anything at all. It's... What is so funny?" She asked when he chuckled.

"You are." Anneliese blushed and looked down at her hands. "I will take you there for a little while if you would still like to go."

"Oh yes, yes! I would love to go!" She jumped out of the bed and almost grabbed his hand before she realized what she was about to do. "I need to get dressed first but I'll be quick." She picked up the dress and corset she had left in a heap on the floor beside her bed and started to get dressed but Von Krolock stopped her.

"Just put on a robe and a pair of slippers. I will wait for you downstairs."

-.-.-.-.-

Anneliese walked down the grassy path beside Von Krolock. One hand held a lantern up in front of them to light their way and his other hand was wrapped tightly around her wrist. She wasn't surprised that he didn't trust her not to try to run but she had told him the truth; she had no intentions of trying to escape. Even if she had, there was no chance she'd make it through the thick brush of the forest in her light robe and flimsy slippers.

Eventually the narrow path they were on opened up to a large clearing and Anneliese gasped at the sight before her. The small lake was so still that it reflected the light of the full moon perfectly like a mirror. On the opposite side of the lake she could see the the edge of the forest and beyond that, the dark outlines of the mountains in the distance. In front of her, hundreds of wildflowers covered the small plot of land that lead right up to the edge of the lake.

"This must be absolutely beautiful during the day," she sighed.

"It's been so long. I don't remember." Anneliese watched Von Krolock as he hung his lamp from a branch and sat down, leaning back against the tree.

"How long has it been?" She asked him. He shook his head slowly.

"I don't even know anymore. After a while you stop keeping track of time. Go on, get in the water," he ordered gently. "We don't have all night." Anneliese quickly shed her robe and slippers and carefully stepped into the water until it was just above her stomach. The coolness of it made her shiver a little and it was such a welcome relief from the heat.

"Are you coming in?" She called out to Von Krolock. He looked at her and scowled.

"I'm not terribly fond of water."

"But you bathe, do you not?" Anneliese couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face.

"I do what I must but I take no pleasure in it." Anneliese knelt down on the sandy bottom of the lake so that she was immersed in the water up to her neck. She couldn't remember ever being somewhere so peaceful before. The only sounds she could hear were the water swishing when she moved and an occasional hoot from an owl from the forest. As long as she kept her back to the castle and Von Krolock she could almost forget that she was being held here against her will. What she could see before her was so open and beautiful; the complete opposite of the prison she was locked up in.

Anneliese took a deep breath and sat down, completely submerging herself in the water. It was even more peaceful down there. With the pressure of the water against her ears all she could hear was her own heartbeat. As she listened to the rhythmic beats she wondered how long it had been since Von Krolock had heard his own heart beat. One hundred years? Two hundred years? Even longer? On one hand she couldn't imagine spending eternity on this earth; life here was too cruel to want it to go on forever. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but envy all the things he must have seen... the changes that took place in their country every time a new ruler took over and all the inventions of things that they now took for granted.

Suddenly Anneliese felt herself being pulled from the water and she gasped for air when she reached the surface. She struggled but Von Krolock didn't let go until he reached the bank where he dropped her on the ground. "What did you do that for?" She spat between coughs. She rolled over and sat up to see him standing over her, out of breath and completely drenched from head to toe.

"You were under too long. I thought..." He sunk to his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "I thought you had drowned."

"Well I didn't!" Anneliese coughed up a little more water. "I'm fine!"

"Obviously!" Von Krolock shouted. "You just... Damn it, Anneliese..." He ran his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it away from his face and stared at the ground. "You just-"

"I just what?" Anneliese was no longer shouting but she couldn't hide the irritation in her voice. Her lungs burned from the water he had caused her to inhale and her ribs ached from the way he had grabbed her. "Did I scare you? Did I scare the big, mean vampire?" Anneliese watched as Von Krolock seemed to deflate before her eyes. With a heavy sigh he hung his head and dropped his shoulders and she suddenly wished she could take back what she said.

"Yes..." he said barely above a whisper. "I get scared, Anneliese. Believe it or not this... _big, mean vampire_ gets scared. All the time."

"Your Excellency... I..." Anneliese didn't know how to respond. She wanted to go to him and try to comfort him but she was afraid to touch him.

"Please, enough with the formalities." Von Krolock shifted into a sitting position, turning away from Anneliese to face the lake. "I'm tired of it. Just call me Heinrich."

"Heinrich..." Anneliese said; she felt strange calling him by his name but she liked it. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't always a monster. I was human once, you know. I feel all the emotions that you feel. I'm not immune to fear or sadness or loneliness." Anneliese crawled over to Von Krolock and sat beside him. She looked at him but he kept his gaze fixed on something off in the distance in front of them.

"You shouldn't feel so lonely," she whispered. "You have Breda and Herbert and they love you." Von Krolock lowered his eyes and shook his head.

"I've been a terrible father to Herbert. I honestly don't know why he even stays with me. And Breda..." He stopped speaking and took a shaky breath. "I destroyed her. It's my fault she is the way she is. I can't even take care of her properly because I'm too ashamed to face her. She's my baby sister yet because of my shame I've cast her out into a filthy grave, allowing her to rot and depriving her of clothes, a comfortable place to sleep and the other fine things I've given to Herbert. She should despise me for what I have done to her."

"Herbert loves you very much," Anneliese assured him. "He just needs to hear that you love him as well. And Breda... if you give her a chance you will see that she doesn't blame you for anything. She loves you. You're too hard on yourself and you think you're only punishing yourself by pulling away from your family but you aren't. You're punishing them as well." Von Krolock didn't respond. He continued to stare out at the lake and they sat silently for a short while. Eventually, Von Krolock stood and walked away and when he sat down beside her again he had removed his shirt, shoes and socks to allow them to dry.

"What are you afraid of?" Anneliese asked once he was seated. Von Krolock looked up at the stars and sighed.

"Myself." Anneliese looked down at his left hand, which was resting on his thigh, then gingerly placed her hand on top of it. Von Krolock immediately looked down at her hand and she was about to pull it away when he put his right hand over it and squeezed it gently. He looked out at the lake again, keeping hold of her hand. "I'm afraid of what I have become. What you have seen... that isn't me. I wasn't always like this."

"You can change, Heinrich..."

"I can't. I can't change." Von Krolock released her hand and wiped his eyes. "I hate having to kill yet I have to kill to stay alive. It's a vicious cycle and I can't escape it. Everything I touch I destroy and no matter how much I want to stop, I can't... and the guilt I feel over it is eating me alive. I would give anything to be a normal human being again, even just for one day. Anything to be able to feel the sunlight again, to be around and accepted by other people... even to be able to enjoy a piece of chocolate again." Von Krolock laughed weakly and the sound of it broke Anneliese's heart. "I want to remember how it feels to be touched out of love instead of being attacked because they're afraid of me."

Anneliese reached over and gently cupped the side of his face in her hand. Von Krolock sighed softly at her touch and when he closed his eyes a few tears slid down his face. She caressed his cheeks, brushing the tears away, and he slid a hand up the length of her arm and over her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. With his free hand he grasped her waist and guided her onto his lap and pulled her against him in a gentle hug, burying his face against her neck. Anneliese put an arm around him to hold him and trailed her fingers down the side of his neck, over his broad shoulder and down his back. She alternated between light caresses with her fingertips, scratching gently with her nails and slowly stroking his cold skin with her entire hand as she made her way down then back up along his back.

Von Krolock remained silent as she touched him but when she dipped her head and kissed along his collarbone he moaned softly and tilted his head back. She planted soft kisses up along his neck and over his chin until she reached his lips in a heated kiss, their tongues instantly exploring each others' mouths. Von Krolock slid his hands underneath her wet camisole and she gasped against his mouth, the coldness of his hands causing goose bumps to spread over her skin. As they continued to kiss, Anneliese massaged his shoulders then slid her palms down his chest, grazing his nipples with her fingertips making him groan.

Needing to breathe they finally broke the kiss and Von Krolock pulled Anneliese into another embrace. "I want to feel you against me," he sighed against her neck as he pulled at the hem of her camisole. She pulled back just enough to remove her camisole and he immediately cupped both her breasts in his hands. He massaged them and when he lowered his head to take one of her nipples into his mouth, sliding his cool tongue over its hard peak, Anneliese moaned and arched her back, pushing herself against him. He moved to her other breast and after giving it the same treatment he returned his lips to Anneliese's and kissed her again. This time as they kissed Anneliese stiffened slightly when she felt his fangs against her tongue.

"It's alright," he sighed against their kiss. "I won't bite you, Anneliese. Please trust me..." He continued to caress her breasts and she relaxed against him. She moved her hands down to her pantalets in an effort to pull them off but Von Krolock grabbed hold of her wrists. "No," he whispered. "Not yet." He gave her a gentle kiss on her lips then looked into her eyes. "Just hold me for now. I just want you to hold me."

Anneliese put her arms around Von Krolock and held him tightly, resting her cheek on the top of his head and gently caressing his back and for the longest time they both remained quiet. She had no idea how much time passed before Von Krolock finally spoke again. "Anneliese?"

"Hmm?" She moaned sleepily.

"Your baby didn't die..." He whispered. Anneliese pulled back and stared down at him with wide eyes.

"What...?"

"I saw you the night you left him near the woods. I watched you leave the basket and once you were gone I went to it and found the baby." Anneliese continued to stare at him unable to believe what she was hearing. "I brought him to another town and left him on the doorstep of a childless couple."

"You... what...?"

"I went back a few days later to find they had taken him in."

"Heinrich..." Anneliese's voice shook as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"I returned a year later and have done so every year since to see how he was doing."

"What are you saying?"

"Your little boy is alive, Anneliese. You didn't kill him. He has a family and they're taking good care of him."

"You... saved my baby?" She whispered. When Von Krolock nodded she burst into tears and hugged him hard, sobbing against his chest, "Thank you... Thank you... Thank you..." over and over again. Von Krolock held her, stroking her hair and letting her cry for a while before he gently guided her off his lap.

"We should go back now," he whispered as he placed a kiss on her forehead before helping her put her camisole back on. "We need to get you out of these wet clothes..." He kissed her mouth, gently caressing her bottom lip with his tongue. "Get you dried off..." He licked her again and she parted her lips for him. "Get you warmed up..." He kissed her again, coaxing her tongue into his mouth with his own then sucking on it between his lips before releasing it.

Von Krolock grabbed his wet clothes, shoes and the lantern while Anneliese put her robe and slippers back on. They walked side by side back up the path they had taken to the lake but while he had led her down by her wrist, they walked hand in hand back to the castle. Once inside, he walked with her up the stairs. When they reached the first landing she fully expected him to take her to her room but he led her to the top floor and down the hall toward his bedroom. She tried to hide her uncertainty but she knew he either saw it or sensed it when he said, "I won't make you do anything you don't want to do." She stood on her toes and kissed him to assure him it was what she wanted then took his hand as he slowly led her to his bedroom.


	22. Chapter 22

Anneliese slowly opened her eyes and looked around. It took a moment for her to realize where she was and she blushed a little at the memory of what had happened between her and Von Krolock. She rolled over, wincing at the soreness between her legs, only to find she was alone in the bed. Sitting up, she looked at the clock that sat on the mantle above the fireplace and saw that it was a little after nine o'clock. She knew it had been later than nine before she had gone down to the lake and since Von Krolock had left the bedroom she knew she must have slept through the day and into the next night.

As she climbed out of bed she started to wonder what she could put on to cover herself so she could make it back to her bedroom and she smiled when she saw fresh clothes for the night laid out over a chair. She dressed quickly then left the room and made her way downstairs but when she reached the last flight of stairs she froze. Von Krolock was sitting on the bottom step staring straight ahead at the front door... which was wide open.

"What is going on?" She asked as she walked down the stairs. Von Krolock jumped at the sound of her voice but even when she stopped beside him he didn't look at her right away.

"You need to make a choice," he said softly.

"What do you mean?" Von Krolock rose from the stair and turned to face her.

"You can walk out that door right now; turn your back on everything here forever and return to your life in the village. Or you can stay here with us." He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it gently. "With me." Anneliese looked at the open door for a moment before looking at Von Krolock again. His blue eyes were filled with sadness but she couldn't help but think of the look she had seen in his eyes last night.

"I... I need to think about it."

"Anneliese...?"

"Please. I just need a little time!" Anneliese hurried out of the foyer and into the library. Herbert glanced up from his book and dropped it when he saw her expression.

"Are you getting sick again?" He asked her. He stood up and placed his hand against her forehead.

"He's offered to set me free," she whimpered. Herbert smiled.

"Then why the sad face? You should be happy!"

"He wants me to stay... I don't know what to do!" Anneliese burst into tears and Herbert gently helped her onto the sofa where he sat beside her.

"I'm confused," he said. "All you have wanted for the past two weeks was to leave so why is this such a hard decision?"

"I spent the day with him..." Anneliese wiped her eyes with her sleeve in an effort to avoid looking at Herbert while she said this.

"What do you mean?" Anneliese rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I spent the day with him in bed." Herbert's jaw dropped.

"Oh!"

"We talked for the longest time at the lake last night." Anneliese took a moment to blow her nose with a handkerchief Herbert handed to her. "He told me things he has probably never told anyone before. Not even you. There is such a kind man inside buried under so much misery... It broke my heart, Herbert. I can see in his eyes how much he wants me to stay here with him. I'm afraid of what it would do to him if I left."

"Do you love him?" Herbert asked. Anneliese thought carefully for a while before she finally answered.

"No." She shook her head slightly. "I don't know. As mad as it sounds, a part of me cares for him but I don't love him. Maybe if I spent more time with him getting to know the part of him I saw down at the lake I could eventually fall in love with him..." She sighed softly and shrugged her shoulders. "But I don't know."

"Then why don't you stay and give him a chance?"

"Because he scares me," she replied softly.

"His temper?"

"No. Well... I can't help but be afraid after all he's done but after last night, something inside me is telling me he won't hurt me anymore now that he knows he has nothing to hide from me."

"But...? That's not all, is it?" Anneliese shook her head slowly.

"I saw something in his eyes last night when we... you know..." Anneliese couldn't help but blush. "For a moment I was so afraid he was going to bite me. It was as if he was looking right through me. As if I wasn't even there... or as if it wasn't _me_ he was seeing but just something to feed off of. The worst part about it was that I don't even think he was aware it was happening." Anneliese looked at Herbert again. "I don't want to be turned into a vampire."

"And you're afraid if you stay..." Anneliese nodded. Herbert leaned against the back of the sofa and gave a heavy sigh. "I wish I could tell you what to do, but I can't. I would love to tell you to stay because it would make him happy and a week ago I probably would have done so but now... well, I really like you and I care about what happens to you." Herbert took hold of Anneliese's hand and she smiled at him. "You need to do what you feel is right for you, not what you think my father wants." Anneliese leaned over and hugged Herbert, smiling when he actually hugged her back.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I know what I need to do." She gave Herbert a kiss on the cheek then walked back to the foyer to find Von Krolock sitting on the stairs again. "Heinrich..." Von Krolock stood and smiled at Anneliese as she walked toward him.

"Will you stay?" Von Krolock took hold of both her hands. "Please tell me you'll stay..." Anneliese shook her head and Von Krolock's smile faded.

"I can't. I am so sorry, Heinrich, but I must go." Anneliese had wanted to stay strong in front of him but she felt the tears being to fall.

"I'm falling in love with you, Anneliese," he whispered. She reached up and caressed the side of his face but quickly pulled her hand away again when she saw the hopefulness in his eyes.

"I care about you, but I... I don't love you," she said softly. "I'm so sorry, Heinrich." Von Krolock closed his eyes for a moment and just when she started to fear he was growing angry, he opened them again and looked at her sadly.

"If you stay, you can learn to love me..."

"No... I can't stay." Anneliese's voice trembled. "I have to go, but I can come back and visit."

"No. I need you..." Von Krolock took a shaky breath. "I need you to stay here with me. If you leave you won't come back." He pulled Anneliese into his arms and held her tightly against him. "Please stay with me, Anneliese."

"I can't, Heinrich. I'm afraid of you!" She pushed against him but he refused to let go. "If I stay you will bite me!"

"I won't. I promise I won't." He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "I can control it. You've seen that I can control it." The image of his rage-filled eyes flashed through her mind again and she shuddered.

"No," she gasped. "You'll give in and you'll bite me." Tears began to fall from her eyes and she tried to pull herself out of his arms. "I don't want to become a vampire. I can't live like that, Heinrich. I have to leave..." Von Krolock let out a single sob and held her tighter.

"Don't leave me... don't leave me..." He whispered over and over again into her ear. "I need you to stay with me, Anneliese..." He looked at her as he said this and Anneliese began to panic when she saw his fangs.

"Let me go!" She screamed as she struck his chest with her fists. "Let me go!"

"Stop fighting me... I don't want to hurt you! Please stop fighting!" He begged. He forced her arms down to her side and pulled her back into a hug so tight it caused her to gasp for air. "I don't want to hurt you but I can't let you go..." His voice was somewhere between a whisper and a growl and Anneliese froze with fear when the angry look returned to his eyes. "You gave me so much and now you're trying to take it all away," he moaned sadly. "I can't just let you go!"

"Let her go!" Anneliese looked over to find Herbert running in from the library. "Father please! Let her-" Anneliese screamed and her body jerked violently in Von Krolock's arms as he bit down into her neck. Suddenly she was overtaken by a deafening silence as Von Krolock's jaw tightened against her throat, leaving her unable to breathe. The last thing she saw was Herbert running toward them before she felt Von Krolock's fingers knot painfully in her hair. He pulled her head back hard and everything went black.

-.-.-.-.-

"Let her go! Let her go, Papa! Let her go!" Von Krolock opened his eyes to find Herbert beating his fists against his back as he screamed. He pushed his son off of him and a wave of dizziness came over him. He closed his eyes again until it passed. His head hurt horribly and he had no idea what was happening until he opened his eyes again and realized he was on the floor with Anneliese in his arms. Her eyes were closed and he smiled over how peaceful she looked as she slept. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Anneliese... my dear, sweet Anneliese," he sighed. "Wake up..." He planted a few more kisses on her forehead and sat up but when he looked at her again and saw the fresh blood where he had just kissed her, his smile disappeared. "Annelie- Oh God... No..." Panic rose within Von Krolock when he saw the mess of blood that dripped from her neck and pooled onto the floor. "Anne... Anne...?" He ran his fingers through the blood until he cleared enough away to see the two marks he had left. "It's just one bite, Anneliese. You'll be fine... I'll take care of you and you'll be fine. Come on, Anneliese. Wake up..." Von Krolock pulled her into a sitting position and stared in horror as her head hung unnaturally to the side. "Oh God... what have I done to you?" He gasped.

"Papa?" Von Krolock looked over to find both Herbert and Breda kneeling beside him staring at Anneliese with tears in their eyes.

"No!" He held Anneliese's limp body tightly against him and buried his face into her hair as he cried. "Not again! Dear God, not again!" He sobbed as he slowly rocked back and forth. "Anneliese... Anneliese... Please forgive me..."

"Papa... It's going to be alright..." Herbert whispered to him. He and Breda sat on either side of Von Krolock and embraced him as he cried over Anneliese.

p

p

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A/N: Thank you to everyone that has stuck with me through this story :) I hope you enjoyed it! I do have a sequel I've written which I'll gladly post if even just one person is interested ;)


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